LAUNCH F18 is pleased to present Be A Body, featuring new works from artists Elena Redmond and Alexandra Smith, on view January 29th through February 26th. With tropes of voyeurism and an unbridled examination of the female form, Redmond and Smith depict romantic, private moments with a punch.
Reclaiming outside spectatorship through the depiction of highly intimate moments, Redmond and Smith draw from personal experience to create works seeped in memory, informed greatly by uncontrived experiences in womanhood.
Curated by Danielle Dewar and Marlee Katz of Tchotchke Gallery, the works on view purposely situate the viewer in close proximity to the psyche of each painter. By way of self-portraiture and working from a personal archive of photographs, Redmond and Smith transform private experiences into bold paintings which marry intimate versus collective, encouraging a nuanced response to these distinctive moments in time.
The notions of impulse and voyeurism have a firm foothold in both artist’s practice which are brought to life via the use of fresh, bold washes of color. “I desire the individuals that inhabit my paintings and the settings in which they exist,” affirms Smith. “As well, silent suspense builds for the viewer as they might wonder when they will be caught looking,” adds Redmond.
Multi-layered and complex, some of the paintings are underpinned with memory, while others have manifested from fantasy; however, all explore relationships between the viewer and the figure presented on each canvas. In paintings such as Don’t beat yourself up over it (2021), Redmond exposes her hypercritical nature set in an imaginative, combative scenario. “I tried to show that inner monologue, back-and-forth feeling, of working against yourself and showing no sympathies. This painting is about fighting with yourself and wondering who will get the KO,” she states.
Other works in the exhibition depict a contrasting view of the self, one that explores acceptance and sensuality. Smith’s works call upon the viewer’s gaze by magnifying human touch, expressing shared carnal experiences. “This proximity to the skin, fingers, and sensuality of the body summons your gaze. While these works depict specific moments, they also serve as an offering,” notes Smith.
Be A Body opens on January 29th and will be on view through February 26th. For more information and a preview of this exhibition please email us at: info@launchf18.com
Elena Redmond (b. 1998, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) received her B.F.A. in Printmaking with a Concentration in Drawing from RISD in 2021. Previous exhibitions include Experimental and Foundations Studies Biennial Exhibition, Woods-Gerry Gallery, Rhode Island School of Design; (Some)(Any)(Every)THING Pop-up Shop, Frazier Terrace, Providence, Rhode Island; Drawing Marathon Group Exhibition, Waterman, Rhode Island School of Design; Providence Art Club Scholarship Award Exhibition, Providence, Rhode Island; Land // Fill // Land, Gelman Gallery, RISD Museum, Providence, Rhode Island; Life, Still, Johnathan Travis, New York, New York; Paper and Clay: Senior Degree Project Exhibition, Woods Gerry, Providence, Rhode Island; Who We Are, Susan Eley Fine Art Gallery, Virtual Exhibition, New York, New York, With Genuine Eyes, Susan Eley Fine Art Gallery, New York, New York; Summer Camp, Tchotchke Gallery, New York, New York; Together We Rise: Reclaiming the Female Gaze, Visionary Art Collective, Virtual Exhibition, New York, New York; and Buy Now: In Technicolor, ArtNet, Virtual Exhibition, New York, New York. Elena lives and works in Brooklyn.
Alexandra Smith (b. 1995, Watertown, New York) holds a BFA from Alfred University with a concentration in painting. Smith was an artist-in-residence at The Helene Wurlitzer Foundation of New Mexico in 2019. Previous exhibitions include “Unearthing Self-Indulgence,” Off White-Columns, New York, NY (2018); “Floor to Ceiling,” Off-White Columns, New York, NY (2019); “Not One Day,”,Essex Flowers, New York, NY (2020); “Significant Others,” Auxier Kline, New York, NY (2021); and “IRL,” Auxier Kline, New York, NY (2021). Her work has been featured in Art Maze Mag. Alexandra lives and works in Brooklyn.
tchotchke /ˈCHäCHkə/ collectible, conversational, storytelling, a sagacious environment to find, explore, and intrigue, building a dynamic community of engaged collectors and influential artists
Founded by Danielle Dewar and Marlee Katz in 2020, Tchotchke is committed to showcasing promising and exciting artists through the gallery’s inviting digital space, curated for novice and experienced collectors alike. Tchotchke aims to inspire collectors and artists through engaging collaborative and educational efforts.
Alexandra Smith’s works call upon the viewer’s gaze by magnifying human touch and expressing cropped carnal experiences. “…proximity to the skin, fingers, and sensuality of the body summons your gaze. While these works depict specific moments, they also serve as an offering.”
Elena Redmond’s figurative oil paintings in Be A Body depict ferociously bold female protagonists that grapple with personal, biological and environmental pressures.