|
In
anticipation of bleak winter days hastened by nature’s transit from
colorful blossoms and bountiful harvests to a monochromatic veil of
darkness and decay, we as a culture are compelled, as if by instinct,
to surround ourselves with grand displays of ornamental flourish. The
language of repeating forms and rhythms interwoven with patterns of
light and color exude abundance and hope, a comforting notion equating
consumption with survival during the unreliably lean winter months of
past generations. In our current materially-overloaded culture,
ornamentation reflects multifaceted perceptions of social and spiritual
survival complicated by universal holiday traditions of giving and
getting. Contemporary conflicts between conservation and excess reveal
an enduring collective nostalgia for ritual consumption in the coldest
and darkest time of the year.
Ornamental Instincts features
eleven new, site-specific installations by artists who have previously
exhibited at Wave Hill. Returning to the rich architecture and nature
of Wave Hill that served to inspire previous works the artists
transform portions of Wave Hill House’s historical interior for the
winter season, revealing the poignancy and persistence of ornamental
notions in contemporary art practices. These artists are compelled
through process towards a discourse with architectural spaces and
ornamental surfaces to create new works that explore and expose
traditional notions of perception and identity. Such a gathering of
diverse practices and materials within the charged seasonal environment
blurs established boundaries between artistic disciplines, multiple cultures,
and personal and collective histories.
-Wennie Huang, Guest Curator
As
an extension of their site-specific installations, Cristina DeGennaro, Tamiko Kawata, and Rachel Selekman adorn the doors of the Wave Hill House,
Perkins Visitor’s Center, and Glyndor House
with festive wreaths made of materials unique to each artist’s
individual working process.
Public
Programs
December 2, 2 pm, Exhibition
Reception.
Meet the artists of Ornamental Instincts and the
curator who selected them, Wennie Huang, and learn about the artists’
approaches to brightening the indoors through nature for the holidays.
December 7, 10 am, Art Workshop: Holiday
Sampler-Monotype Greeting Cards. Create unique holiday cards while
exploring the painterly qualities of monotypes with printmaker Julio
Valdez. $40 Member; $55 Non-member. Registration required; call
718.549.3200x305.
December 8 & 9, 1 - 4 pm, Art
Workshop:
Snow and Mountains/Nieve y montanas. Explore the
use of Chinese brush and mixed media techniques to create winter landscapes
with guidance from Mansheng Wang.
December
14, 10 am - 3pm, Art Workshop: Holiday
Sampler – Collage. Explore a variety of collage techniques and
materials to create unique visual narratives with Christina de Gennaro. Bring your own photographs, drawings,
paintings, small “found” objects and other low-relief materials to
include as well. You may bring your lunch or purchase it in the café.
$40 member; $55 Non-member. Registration required; call
718.549.3200x305.
Photography: Ken Goebel
Support
for the Visual Arts Program is provided by the Lily Auchincloss
Foundation, Milton & Sally Avery Arts Foundation, the Greenwall Foundation, Target, the Andy Warhol
Foundation for the Visual Arts, and the New York State Council on the
Arts–a state agency. Sustaining support for Wave Hill is provided by
the New York City
Department of Cultural Affairs.
  
The Arts at Wave Hill are sponsored by
|
