McKenzie Fine Art to Open New Lori Ellison Exhibit, 1/10

McKenzie Fine Art will commence the new year with an exhibition of paintings and drawings by Brooklyn-based artist Lori Ellison. This will be her second solo showing with the gallery. The exhibition opens on Friday, January 10, with a reception for the artist from 6 to 8 p.m., and runs through Sunday, February 16, 2014.

The exhibition is comprised of two bodies of work: gouache paintings on wood panels and red or blue ink drawings on lined notebook paper. All are small-scale and most were executed within the last two years. The exhibition features the abstract visual motifs the artist has explored for years: geometric shapes such as triangles, checkerboards, and diamonds, as well as minute organic shapes. They may be arranged concentrically or in rows, or meander across the entire visual field. In some works there is a play of figure/ground relationships and others are optically charged through the use of dense patterning. Several feature linear compositions which coalesce into forms relating to the body or nature. And there are new patterns, such as starbursts and rectilinear arrays with concentric links. In addition, a series of small paintings from 2010 is included, in which the color wheel is explored in individually monochromatic works.

What is notable about Ellison's work is the expression of devotion, dedication and intimacy through her use of pattern, repetition, rhythm, and obsessive execution. Ellison has written the following about the new work: "Smaller work has an intimacy about it, and with intimacy comes familiarity and mystery. It is when one discovers both a sense of humor and a hidden depth. The problem with our levity today is that it lacks gravity. I aim for both. My choice of colors is good humored. My repetition has a wacky absurdity. My choice of motifs has a wry wit. One does not have to make large work to hold a wall. Compactness and concision can be a relief in this age of spectacle."

Lori Ellison has been exhibiting her work nationally for over fifteen years. Recent group exhibitions include The Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, CA, Philip Slein Gallery in St Louis, MO, and the UB Art Gallery at SUNY Buffalo. Her work has been reviewed in The New York Times, New York Magazine, Artcritical, Hyperallergic,and numerous other publications. Ellison's drawings are in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York.

Gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; on Sundays the gallery opens at noon. Mondays and Tuesdays are by appointment only.