LABspace: April 2016

LABspade, a contemporary art gallery in Hillsdale, N.Y is pleased to present two new solo art exhibitions by Laura Stein and Joseph Stabilito. The shows open on Saturday, April 16^th with a reception for the artists from 1-3 and run through Saturday, May 7^th.

LABspace is located at 2642 NY Route 23 just west of NY Route 22 in Hillsdale, N.Y.

Room 1 Laura Stein “women, guns x internet”

In this new series for her first solo show at LABspace, Laura Stein essentially acts as a cultural photo editor/researcher as much as a producer. Searching the internet, typing in ‘women and guns’ she is taken by the expanse of image availability. She considers guns to be innately male and the images that pop up play into a stereotype. They tend to be provocative and sexualized. She then repurpose and recontextualize the images, downloading them and hijacking their initial meaning. By exploiting and usurping the original intent of the images, Stein create a parallel between her chosen image and that of any given illegal weapon. Once either the image or the gun changes hands the control over possession and intent is gone. Then as a society we are asked to trust this transaction. There is vulnerability in this notion. In this work, Stein is utilizing found image as raw material to illustrate a system of re-appropriation.

Laura Stein has shown her work in solo exhibitions at Basilico Fine Art, NY, NY and Thomas Soloman’s Garage, Los Angeles, CA. She has been in group exhibitions at The Drawing Center, Sonnabend Gallery, Jay Gorney Modern Art, and The New Museum in New York City PS1 MoMA as well as at the RISD Art Museum in Providence, RI, Kunstraum Wein in Vienna, Margo Levin in Los Angeles and Daniel Bulcholtz in Cologne among other venues. Stein graduated with a BFA from California Institute of the Arts. She lives and works in NY, NY and is a studio resident at Chashama in the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

Room 2 Joseph Stabilito, “New Small Work”

Taking cues from the natural world, Joseph Stabilito approaches the canvas and the process of creating paintings as both a struggle and a source of joy in discovery.. Paint is pooled and scraped; shapes are put down then obfuscated; gestures are drawn instinctively. Each piece is an evolving narrative. Stabilito says of his work and process,

I like rough as much as soft. I like things that are brilliant and sparkle as much as what is dark and hidden in shadow. I’ve experimented with all manner of materials for my work, such as glass, metal, wood, wax, beads, and glitter. In the final assessment, my aim is to provide an emotional connection to my work, by way of my own vision.

Joseph Stabilito has shown his work in solo and group shows throughout the US and Europe in galleries such as Pat Hearn Gallery, ABC No Rio, The Brooklyn Museum of Art (all in NYC) and Gallerie Kunst Parterre (Dusseldorf) and Arte Fiera (Bologna). Stabilito studied at The School of Visual Arts in NY, NY as well as at the Art Institute of Philadelphia. He is a resident of NY, NY and Copake, NY in Columbia County.

LABspace was founded and is directed by the artist Susan Jennings. The gallery is dedicated to experiments in curation, exhibiting category-busting and/or materially surprising contemporary art, and hosting performance art, screenings, readings and music that push the boundaries of categorization, participation and/or experience.

The gallery is currently open Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., or by appointment via labspaceart@gmail.com. During the summer months there are additional hours of operation.