Alumni artists showcase work at SCRIPTopia exhibition

ScriptopiaSCRIPTopia,” an exhibition organized by SUNY New Paltz’s Art Department and curated by professors Anat Shiftan and Jamie Bennett will open at Dorsky Gallery Curatorial Programs in Long Island City, N.Y. with a reception on July 20 from 3-5 p.m., and a gallery talk at 4 p.m. The exhibition will remain on view through Aug.22.

“SCRIPTopia” showcases the work of four New Paltz alumni artists, each of whose work addresses the intersection of contemporary craft and contemporary art. The artists of “SCRIPTopia” explore both the inherent desire to, and the ways in which, we manipulate our world.

Martin Anderson‘s ’10g (Metal) jewelry is an exploration of the meaning of wearing necklaces as a behavioral adaptation of our species. With mechanisms constructed from brightly glazed porcelain and silver, he plays with color, shape, and movement in his creations in the same way that a chameleon flashes color or a peacock fans its tail.

Patti Nelson’s ’10g (Ceramics) work investigates the way we experience space, objects and our surroundings, attempting to bring to light what goes unnoticed in our environment. She is autobiographically motivated, while exploring broader issues of the use of space and the politics of noticing. Her installation of her own design pulls from decay, disrepair, the overlap of the industrial over nature and the handmade, and conflicting materials and images that reflect the breakdown in contemporary society.

Patrick Paine‘s ’11g (Ceramics) artwork has grown into a philosophical practice that includes pottery, hard edge geometric sculpture, collage, photography, and sculptural installations based on modern literature. For “SCRIPtopia,” he will be presenting a sculptural adaptation of a passage from Italo Calvino’s The Distance of the Moon using handmade earthenware tiles and a video projection.

Amelia Toelke’s ’05 (Metal) work engages the vocabulary of jewelry, architectural ornament, and signage to address the rich history of adornment and the shared understanding of visual language. Lying at the interstice of the two-dimensional and the three-dimensional, Toelke’s work both confronts and reveals the layered meanings within, and our relationship to, the decorative landscape.

About Dorsky Gallery Curatorial Programs
Dorsky Gallery Curatorial Programs is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization whose mission is to present exhibitions of contemporary art to a broad public audience. The gallery is located at 11-03 45th Avenue, Long Island City, N.Y. Hours are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. For gallery info, please call (718) 937-6317 or visit www.dorsky.org.