"A Portrait of Brooklyn Romance" -Review by Enrico Gomez

"A Portrait of Brooklyn Romance" Iviva Olenick
On view through November 13th

Muriel Guepin Gallery (47 Bergen Street)

"The sex was so good, I had to marry you”, reads one
image from narrative embroidery artist Iviva Olenick. Sometimes hilarious, often wistful Olenick’s work pulls inspiration from past love affairs. In “A Portrait of Brooklyn Romance” however, currently on view at Muriel Guepin Gallery (47 Bergen St.) she will source the stories of locals and friends, giving us all an intimate glimpse into the secrets of Brooklyn’s sweet nothings.

Also on view through Nov 13th, is an extended group show which includes James T. Greco’s distinguished “Death Blow” paintings; large, abstract works in which the artist
builds up rich, expressionist color and contravenes this with deep swaths of crow-like black strokes. Additionally included are the delicately beautiful “Ontological Road Map” drawings of Robert Walden, which combine dense networks of crosshatch line with expansive negative space in a compositional contrapposto, resembling aerial vistas or the microbiology of neurological life.

Like Olenick, the final two artists on view, Holly Miller and Audrey Stone, also use fiber appealingly. Miller builds engaging shadow drawings with colored thread and nails and Stone creates dazzling abstractions using a combination of drawn line and taut thread. The best of these are the “Black Intermezzo” drawings which include angular, chiaroscurro patterning on black paper with glints of vibrant hue that match the connotations of their series’ musical title.

For even more variations on fiber in art, check out Melissa Zexter’s stitched pattern photo permutations in “Above and Beyond Photography”, opening at the gallery Nov. 18th.

—Enrico Gomez