Russell Crotty
dal 4/9/2002 al 26/10/2002
Segnalato da
4/9/2002
Russell Crotty
CRG Gallery, New York
eight variably shaped globes suspended from the ceiling composed of archival-ballpoint pen on paper, mounted on lucite spheres
With eight variably shaped globes suspended from the ceiling composed of archival-ballpoint pen on paper, mounted on lucite
spheres, artist Russell Crotty (American, born 1956) opens his second exhibition at CRG Gallery on Thursday,September 5, 2002.
Crotty's globes, with measurements ranging from 16 to 48 inches in diameter, depict his night observations from high in the hills of
Mailbu, California where his observatory housing a ten-inch f/8 Newtonian reflector telescope is the birth place for this artist and
amateur astronomer's marriage of the arts and sciences.
Holly Myers of the Los Angeles Times writes "Crotty is certainly a man of science, although you might find it a quaint sort of science next
to the high-tech efforts at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Caltech. Crotty relies on direct observation and manual-that is,
unmechanized and undigitized-recording of nature. He is a certified documentarian of the Assn. Of Lunar and Planetary Observers, an
organization of amateur astronomers who assist professionals. As such, he has trained his eye to conform to a rigorous diagrammatic
protocol, and his work demonstrates a sublime patience and a tireless faith in detail. That said, the work is not cold or mechanical but
engrossingly vibrant. Each image is composed of thousands of thin, short strokes of black ink, which make for a delicate, even sensuous
surface quality, despite the seemingly inexpressive nature of the medium (ballpoint pen). This exhausting technique lends a lush
texture to the blackness of Crotty's skies and a complexity to their vastness. Some of the compositions are recognizable as images of
outer space, while others are more abstract and might be easily mistaken for Minimalist experimentation. None of the works, however,
looks like a NASA
photograph; inscribed by a human hand, they are imbued with a very personal quality of awe." Crotty’s work will also be on view this
fall at MoMA QNS in the exhibition 'Drawing Now: Eight Propositions' opening
October 16, 2002 - January 6, 2003.
For further information please contact:
Carla Chammas, Richard Desroche or Glenn McMillan.
Gallery hours: Tues. - Sat. from 10 - 6PM
CRG Gallery 535 West 22nd Street NYC 10011 tel (212)229-2766
Next Exhibition: Robert Feintuch: New Paintings, Oct. 31 - Nov. 30, 2002.