at 1975 Gallery, 89 Charlotte Street, Rochester, NY
Every now and then, I get an urge to go and see something new ( actually, this happens every day! ) and I am out of the studio in search of that certain something. In the midst of planning for a showing of my own artwork at The Little Theatre later this week, I walk down the street to deliver a card to the 1975 Gallery at 89 Charlotte Street in the former home of the Little Bakery ( I was a frequent customer there ).
I had been meaning to go over to this new gallery that has been open for almost a year and check it out. So, it was my surprise to find a gorgeous gallery space with a serious show of glass works from Karen Mahardy. Talking with Erich Lehman, the owner and director, about the gallery and how it fits into the cultural scene in Rochester was very illuminating. Erich has been a nomad - having staged shows in various locations in town - and he recently has garnered some great publicity for his involvement in wall mural projects here in the city.
Back to Karen Mahardy's show - she has been working with sheet glass that has been shaped and folded to make a very unique kind of statement. In some pieces the glass looks like a starched shirt collar with a textile pattern - very ingenious! In other artworks she reminds me of Donald Judd, the minimalist sculptor whose SoHo studio is being turned into a museum. Her show is very tasty, and I recommend that you get over there before the show is over, especially because this work has so much to offer.
Karen Mahardy at 1975 Gallery
