Stylecurated: STENCILED SPOTS + A SOLO SHOW IN A SECRET SOHO SPACE

Polly Apfelbaum's A Handweaver's Pattern Book (June 2014)

Hidden high amidst the boisterous bustle of Soho shopping, a sixth floor sanctuary stowing artistic sentiment awaits those acquainted with the (somewhat) secret space. From June 27th until August 8th, Clifton Benevento Gallery plays home to Polly Apfelbaum's exhibit A Handweaver's Pattern Book. One of 15 artists invited to exhibit in Miss Dior at the Grand Palais in Paris in 2013, Apfelbaum traditionally dabbles with paint, sculpture, photography and fashion. High honors (including a 2013 Rome Prize) and pieces parked in the permanent collections of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art (MoMA NYC), and Whitney Museum, verify that Apfelbaum has mastered the art of combining colors and shapes over two decades of creationism. My interest is piqued by an article pointing to the obscure gallery space and textile exhibit, so I stop in on my walk home after work. Keep reading for a peek inside...

Textiles by Polly Apfelbaum

A found plastic punch card becomes both the inspiration and foundation of Apfelbaum's 50 ink-on-rayon synthetic velvet panels. Her use of color and pattern "unite the abstract and the serial through meditations on the potential of chaos through a lens of systematic gestures" [source]. The gallery is transformed into a book, with each panel representing separate pages. Fluid panels of isolated and saturated color highlight the spontaneity and imperfection of the handmade. Hanging ceramic beads add a directional dimension, guiding the viewers eye towards a solitary point of punctuation between rows.