Events

LARISSA GOLDSTON GALLERY

Teaching a Chicken How to Fly III
APRIL 2 - MAY 7, 2010

GANDALF GAVAN
in collaboration with
LAYLA ABRAMOWITZ
RONNIE BASS
NICOLA LOPEZ


New York, NY, March 30, 2010 - Larissa Goldston Gallery is pleased to present Teaching a Chicken How to Fly III, featuring artist Gandalf Gavan in collaboration with clothing designer Layla Abramowitz, visual artist Nicola Lopez, and video/sound artist Ronnie Bass. For his second solo exhibition with the gallery, Gavan has created an interactive environment that introduces mainstream formats such as a couture collection with his established installation work. Gavan’s work questions the widely held idea of art as a cultural reflection or representation of the contemporary state of humanity while examining the basic idea of how to be creative. “To what extent does the process of consumption/acquisition influence and diminish the realities of creativity and individuality. The show poses the question of ‘Who is consuming who;” and “Is freedom possible?” The chicken becomes a self portrait; Gavan is the domesticated chicken learning how to fly. Thus, his process includes collaborating with other artists from different systems of logic. For this point, he collaborates with Layla Abramowitz, a fashion designer from New York to develop a fashion line for the show while dressing other artists. As fashion is not normally accepted as a form of high art, the work questions the fundamental base of what is considered art in academia. As fashion is centered around business, the work questions the logic as to what is considered fashion, walking along the tension of a fine line between one kind of materialism and another. The six distinct mixed media installations and clothing line will be on view from April 2nd through May 2nd, 2010. There will be an opening reception and live performance by the artist on April 2 from 6pm – 8pm. There will be an additional performance on April 17 from 4pm – 6pm.

Gandalf Gavan, an accomplished young contemporary artist from Berlin, Germany, received his MFA from Columbia University and is currently an adjunct professor there. He has exhibited at galleries around the world, including the PS1 Moma and Museo de Arte Contemporaneo in Oaxaca. Layla Abramowitz, a New York based fashion designer received her BFA from the Fashion Institute of Technology, specializing in fashion art and knitwear. During her career, she has worked for various designer companies, among them Ports1961 and Zac Posen, living and working in Europe, China, and New York. Her work has been varied, from couture to mass through her exploration of the various facets of the fashion industry. “Creativity is in the fabric, in juxtaposition; between absorption and reflection, rigidity and flexibility, elegance and grotesque, walking the line of tension between two modes of thought," says Abramowitz. "A stiff yarn, when knitted, follows a looped path that hangs onto itself to create a fabric that is both rigid and flexible, and the manual connection to that fabric injects a sensual life into the clothing."

The couture line examines Gavan’s previous installation work which has taken on the experiment to take the notion of art as reflection to a literal level. His installations include hand-made warped mirrors, neon glass sculpture, fur, painting and ephemera. The materials for this show include mirrored mylar, heritage fur, glass, and intensely hand-worked fishing nets hand-felted into wool. The deep connection with the materials charges the garments with intense emotive energy. “Every object is referent as well as autonomous, and the overall environment…reverses the normal point of view.” In turning clothing into warped mirrors, Gavan and Abramowitz take the notion of art as reflection into further discussion, discussing the personalization of art and that interaction. The clothing projects the communication of a persona while providing a physical and psychological mask, holding a similar paradox as when the person wearing the mirror, faced with another mirror seems to disappear, and is abandoned to optically search again for information.

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Larissa Goldston Gallery is located at 530 W 25th Street, 3rd floor. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 11am – 6pm. For more information, please contact the gallery at 212-206-7887 or visit www.larissagoldston.com.

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Layla Ditu Abramowitz was born in New York, NY in 1982. The product of a Filipino Jewish family, she grew up in New Jersey. She currently resides and works in New York. Abramowitz received her BFA from the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in 2004, specializing in fashion art and knitwear. During her training at FIT, she studied in Paris, France, at Esmod International; in Florence, Italy at Polimoda; and in England at the Nottingham Trent University to train in knitwear. At Polimoda, she was awarded ‘Most Creative and Artistic’ during the exhibit at the Limonaia Gallery in Florence. She was asked back to FIT be a critic for the fashion design program in 2009. She has designed for luxury companies Zac Posen, Mario Moya, and Ports1961. In 2005, she relocated to work and live in Xiamen, China to work for Ports 1961. Her tenure in China lasted three and a half years, where Abramowitz took on other projects, designing uniforms for a Chinese luxury hotel concept and lingerie for Italy. In 2008, she launched her own knitwear line, Ditu, which was an experiment in creating high-end apparel in China. Through her venture to China, she developed a sweater line that featured corsets designed from knitting machines. When she returned to New York, she worked as Collection Director to produce the Mario Moya Spring 09 and Fall10 fashion shows. Abramowitz’s work involves various parts of the fashion mechanism, from the high-end craft to the logic of production in Chinese factories.

Do you like fashion? Do you like the arts? Don't you wish that you could benefit both at the same time (money being what it is)? Then you will love...

We were excited before, but now that we have added Ipa-nima, Dana-Maxx, Fresh Art, and  the renowned Pageant Book & Print Shop to Fundraising in Style, we are ecstatic. So make sure to clear your Thursday night for shopping & fun on East 4th Street.   Fundraising in Style What: A sample sale that benefits FAB Where: New York Theatre Workshop, Main Stage, 79 E. 4th Street When: Thursday February 5th, 5:30-9:00PM Our tough economy has been hard on non-profits, young designers and the bargain shopper --  but here is a great way to join forces so everybody wins. This launch party kicks-off a new shopping concept to help New York City non-profits through fun, original discount shopping events featuring dozens of independent designers.  The scene for this launch event to benefit Fourth Arts Block is the fabulous New York Theatre Workshop. The goods include stylish clothing and accessories by almost a dozen designers that usually sell in high-end boutiques, as well as original artwork, and incredible hot chocolate from 4th Street's own Bond Street Chocolate. All guests will receive a free FAB Pass that gives discount access to shows in the East 4th Street Cultural District. Don't miss this chance to eat, drink, mingle, shop and help support NYC artists during the economic slump! For more information, visit www.fabnyc.org. Designers Include: Lara Kazan, Bellissima, Frida's Closet designed by Sandra Paez, Misswit designed by Deborah Goldstein, Ditu designed by Layla Abramowitz, Meiling Chen, Leo Works designed by Nicole Gagne, Judith Haas, Fresh Art, Ipa-Nima, Pageant Printshop, Sarah's Handmade and artist, Mauro Baiocco. About the Designers Lara Kazan www.larakazan.com Lara Kazan's luxury line of knitwear is full of versatility. Pieces perfect for layering in this unpredictable weather, from leg warmers (almost more boot then legwarmer), to capes, to knit dresses and fingerless arm warmers...she's got you covered! Bellissima www.bellissimacollection.com The jewelry line by family-run company, Bellissima by Moschitto Designs is hand-made in NY of Italian resin. Our line is heavily influenced by the past (art deco/bakelite/costume jewelry heyday) with a modern wearable twist. Frida's Closet designed by Sandra Paez Sandra Paez's a native Mexican designer, with her line and store Frida's Closet was a pioneer in the vitalization of now famed Smith Street, in Brooklyn.   Her current line of T-shirts expand on her signature use of art on cloth, combining vibrant colors, Mexican and folkloric patterns with a modern fit. Misswit designed by Deborah Goldstein www.misswit.net Miss Wit designs whimsical, satirical, fashionable tees that capture the pop-cultural zeitgeist and embrace the humor, irony and elemental beauty of daily living. Ditu designed by Layla Abramowitz www.dituonline.com After working with the likes of Zac Posen, Ports 1961 and Parisian couturiers, designer Layla Abramowitz decided to take the fashion world into her own hands, launching luxury knitwear label Ditu in the Fall of 2007. Known for innovating the knit corset on a sweater machine and blending the constructions with couture techniques, the Ditu line is exquisitely crafted, the collection offering a range of shrugs, skirts, dresses, jackets, sweaters, camisoles and bustiers that emulate industrial architectural shapes and structures in their texture and silhouette, resulting in innovative yet functional pieces wearable by today's chic, progressive, modern woman. Meiling Chen  www.meilingchen.com Meiling's clothes explores the relationship between fashion, visual design and art. She believes a person's clothes represent an artistic means of personal expression. Her clothes often have a sculptural quality that interweaves modern and historical cultural elements and integrates the masculine and the feminine. All the garments and accessories are made in NY with organic materials, love and care. Leo Works, designed by Nicole Gagne www.leoworks.com Leoworks is a modern jewelry company committed to the craft, it's jewelry distinctively artistic yet never outside the circle of fashion. Based in New York City; known for innovation and ambition, the company was founded in 2002.  Leoworks' designs are constantly evolving because enhancing the beauty of raw materials is an infinitive palette.  The workmanship that goes into each piece reflects the hand of the maker, thus creating an unparalleled collection of intrinsically individual pieces. Judith Haas www.judithhaas.com Handmade jewelry with semiprecious stones inspired by the architecture of Antoni Gaudi. Made in Brooklyn out of bronze, sterling silver or 10k gold by Dutch designer Judith Haas. Ipa-Nima Since 1997, Ipa-Nima  and Christina Yu have been creating Fashion accessories that elegantly fuse unique materials, vivid colour schemes, and inventive ideas in every pieces With a focus on handbags and a design-first philosophy, Ipa-nama translates fashion trends into edgy accessories steeped in soul Dana-Maxx www.dana-maxx.com  Design alum from Betsey Johnson and Marc Jacobs, Dana-Maxx Pomerantz, began her own line of contemporary clothing in 2007.  Dana-Maxx® captures the interest of women who are looking for a high quality wardrobe that is feminine, ultra-sexy, flirty, and sophisticated! With the entire line produced in the USA, it gives tremendous value to the customer for its price points. The line has been featured on VH1, BET, and Bravo and has been distributed in the VIP gift bags at the 2007 MTV Latin Music Awards, where celebrities Hilary Duff, Avril Lavigne, and Paulina Rubio were recipients.  Dana-Maxx® has also been seen on VH1 Red Carpet Host Janell Snowden at recent events including the 2009 Sundance Film Festivals and the 2009 Presidential Inauguration. Mauro Baiocco www.naughtyandnice.etsy.com Mauro Baiocco, is an Argentinian artist who has developed an avid following and presence in the New York City street artist scene.   His mixed media paintings are influenced by a magical blending of interests ranging from the whimsical child like characters of fairy tales to the edgy, dark and complex textural influences of Victorian and Quaker fashion, Steampunk, Mexican Retablos and sideshow and circus culture.