LAND Studio & Gallery
New Now Next
January 22 - February 20, 2021
In the gallery & online
Robert Latchman, Untitled, 2020, Mixed media on paper, 17 x 14 in.
Shelter is thrilled to present New Now Next, an exhibition of artwork made at home during 2020 by a selection of LAND Studio & Gallery artists.
Artists from around the globe have been faced with changes in how they maintain their practice during this time of quarantine. LAND, a studio-based program, has been physically closed since early 2020 yet staff members hold virtual studio sessions and provide materials, allowing the artists to continue to create, adapting to limitations in terms of materials, space, and physical community. These works were made during a period of adversity, yet they show a continued commitment to developing a body of work both reflecting the time we live in and offering a look towards the future.
Byron Smith, known for his drawings of fashion models, is debuting two series of new work: an exploration of line and color in both circus and religious-themed drawings. Robert Latchman, who was able to see the Brooklyn Bridge from LAND’s old location in DUMBO, has leaned away from his signature compositions and focused on snapshots and still lifes of his current home setting, interlaced with nods to his past vantage point - such as on TV screens and in flower pots. This new artist's lens, a result of the locations each are now creating from at home, is visually apparent in both artists’ bodies of work - perhaps opening a new door for their practices.
Pop culture aficionado Michael Pellew loves speaking with visitors and friends about everything from music to hairstyles. During the time he’s been at home, Pellew has chosen to continue to make his popular greeting cards, maintaining a way of communicating with every viewer what he would prefer to do in person. Cards, by their very nature, serve a purpose of communication between giver and recipient, and in this case, the artist is present in this exchange as well.
As always, Carlo Daleo’s drawings send a message to the viewer - sometimes literally. His recent series balances this direct communication with beautifully rendered scenes of outdoor spaces and holiday celebrations bereft of any people. Similarly, Kenya Hanley, whose dessert and reggae drawings are highly collected, has presented a sketchbook of work drawn in black and white. Without their usual color, this repetition of drawings makes the food they represent seem less delicious than Hanley’s previous work; however, these studies also show that adapting to a different routine - especially one that has changed so drastically - means seeing things through a new lens. As these artists show, that lens can reveal extraordinary resilience.
Located in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, LAND Studio & Gallery (League Artist Natural Design) was founded in 2005 and is one of The League Education Treatment Center's adult programs. LAND nurtures the talents of participating artists, while integrating individuals into the community as professional artists. Shelter is proud to represent the artists of LAND.
Follow LAND on instagram @landgallery to get updates on artists and new work.
Robert Latchman
Robert Latchman (Brooklyn, NY) has a keen eye for architecture, and especially the Brooklyn Bridge. When LAND was located in DUMBO, he was able to visit and draw his favorite subject nearly every day of the week. Yet the changes of last year - including LAND’s stalled relocation due to the global pandemic - have literally repositioned Robert’s viewpoint.
But being away from the studio has not meant that Robert has given up on his favorite monument; indeed, the integration and transformation of this object continues in his home environment.
In the following series of portraits we see the artist in an interior room which he transforms in ways similar to his bridge drawings. And of course, the monument shows up, this time on what appear to be television screens, perhaps alluding to the distance of the artist and his direct reference point.
Other household objects become containers for the bridge as well - in this case, mostly flowerpots. The latter may also be the most repeated object in the series other than the bridge, and these drawings show a focus on color, line, and composition; an artist dedicated to studying his subject.
Byron Smith
Byron Smith (b. 1963, North Carolina) lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. In 2008, Smith joined LAND and in his early work, repetitively drew gorillas and robots with their arms held out, toting objects such as flowers and basketballs. In 2013, Smith began to turn his attention towards the glossy pages of fashion magazines, selecting a different “model” to feature in each drawing. Smith continues to invent new ways of drawing elaborate portraits and stylized figures in a variety of media; in his recent work, Smith has also started exploring narrative through scenes from both in-person entertainment (the circus) and religion.
The Circus
2020, Pencil on paper, 9x12 in.
2020, Pencil on paper, 9x12 in.
2020, Mixed media on paper, 9x12 in.
2020, Pencil on paper, 12x9 in.
2020, Mixed media on paper, 12x9 in.
2020, Pencil on paper, 9x12 in.
2020, Pencil on paper, 9x12 in.
Religion
2020, Mixed media on paper, 9x12 in.
2020, Pencil on paper, 12x9 in.
2020, Mixed media on paper, 9x12 in.
2020, Mixed media on paper, 9x12 in.
2020, Pencil on paper, 9x12 in.
2020, Pencil on paper, 9x12 in.
2020, Pencil on paper, 12x9 in.
2020, Mixed media on paper, 12x9 in.
2020, Pencil on paper, 9x12 in.
Carlo Daleo
Carlo Daleo (b. 1961, Elmhurst, Queens) has lived in Brooklyn since 1964. Daleo has been attending LAND since its inception in 2005, where he is able to hone his skills as a talented draftsman, painter, writer, animator, and voiceover artist. Daleo started making art at the age of five following two pop culture tragedies: the unfortunate car accident injuring Jan Berry, and the death of Walt Disney. Daleo decided he wanted to continue the legacy of Disney and other cartoonists like Hanna-Barbera and DePatie-Freleng, which can be seen in his "story board" drawings that present a singular moment from one of his many ongoing narratives. Daleo’s interests and aesthetic influences are incredibly diverse, including Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Soupy Sales, New York City cultural institutions, newscasters, and local librarians.
Given his interest in the narrative style of cartoons, it is interesting to see the work he completed in 2020, which are missing the people that so typically populate his pieces.
2020, Mixed media on paper, 9x12.
2020, Mixed media on paper, 9x12.
2020, Mixed media on paper, 9x12.
For so many of us, missed holidays were a hard part of 2020; being away from friends and family was acutely felt, particularly for those used to in-person gatherings. In a series of drawings related to different holidays Daleo manages to capture the feeling of celebration, yet with no physical beings present in the drawings, also the loneliness of the past year.
2020, Mixed media on paper, 9x12.
2020, Mixed media on paper, 9x12.
2020, Mixed media on paper, 9x12.
2020, Mixed media on paper, 9x12.
Early in New York’s lockdown Daleo drew a series of works addressing COVID - predominantly focused on the defeat of what he calls “COVID-19 Alias the Coronavirus Monster.” This sense of hope for the future evident in work from so early in the pandemic shows an optimism despite the realities of the current time.
Kenya Hanley
Kenya Hanley lives and works in Brooklyn, New York, and has been a member of LAND since 2005. Hanley's work has been exhibited internationally and his desserts and reggae-themed menus are a favorite of collectors.
In 2018, a catalog of Hanley’s work was published by All-You-Can-Eat-Press, with an accompanying show held in Japan. Tasty Reggae beautifully highlights Hanley’s work and is available for direct purchase through the publisher.
While Kenya’s drawings are typically vivid and full of color, at home he has been creating his “menus” in a sketchbook using simple black and white lines. In the gallery, visitors will have the opportunity to look through this sketchbook which in many ways reflects the repetition so prevalent during these times.
Michael Pellew
Michael Pellew (b. 1979) lives and works in Brooklyn, NY and and has maintained a studio practice with LAND Gallery since 2005. Both surreal and believable, Pellew’s work blurs all lines with an articulated vision featuring surprise celebrity mash-ups: Ariana Grande sings with Metallica and the Kardashians work at McDonald's. No celebrity is immune to Pellew’s brutal honesty; they are often transformed into monsters and zombies, or seen dealing with tense moments like family conflict and dissolving relationships. In their mutated mundane situations and environments, Pellew's celebrities become pop culture paper dolls, far removed from the glitz and pomp that saturates typical tabloid culture. His pairings seem infinite, as do his imaginative compositions.
For the current exhibition, Pellew has chosen to include his well-known greeting cards - a mode of communication more likely to be used than in-person interactions in the days of the pandemic.
Follow LAND on instagram @landgallery to get updates on artists and new work.
Additional LAND work is available through the gallery. For more information on the exhibition and sales, contact rachel@shelternyc.com