P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center presents Irrational Profusion: Nicole Cherubini, Marc Leuthold, Joyce Robins, and Peter Schlesinger. The works of these four artists produce a diverse contemporary dialogue on the traditional medium of clay. Through their incorporation of unconventional materials including rabbit fur, gold chains, and paint, as well as their references to painting, drawing, and sculpture, these artists share an interest in pushing the boundaries of and contributing to the medium's possibilities. This group exhibition is on view in the First Floor Drawing Gallery from September 28 through January 21, 2008.
Nicole Cherubini's (b. 1970) work deconstructs notions of utilitarian objects in relation to clay. By incorporating techniques of assemblage and ornamentation, Cherubini creates a personal synthesis that yields to both "high" and "low" culture, simultaneously evoking aspects of both contemporary and ancient traditions.
Marc Leuthold's (b. 1962) delicate sculptures focus on the contradictory qualities of soft and hard, which are central to ceramics. Through a dialogue on the temporality of nature and artifice, Leuthold's sculptures are investigations of history and movement.
An abstract artist working in ceramics, Joyce Robins (b. 1944) combines paint and glaze, and treats the surfaces of her works to generate varying textures, sequences, and forms. Her painted works concentrate on process and medium, which establish formal relationships between figuration and abstraction.
The stoneware columns and vessels of Peter Schlesinger (b.1948) present a textured geometry in physical shape and glaze. The vessels vary in scale, from diminutive to monumental. Schlesinger’s background as a painter influences his selection of abstract shapes, patterns, and manipulation of the material’s consistency.
Irrational Profusion: Nicole Cherubini, Marc Leuthold, Joyce Robins, and Peter Schlesinger is organized by P.S.1 Curatorial Advisor Phong Bui.