The exhibition brings together ideas such as history, memory, childhood creative impulses, that have interested the artist over the years. Her latest pieces of wall work, featuring velvet silhouettes of vintage women's and children's dresses cut from wallpaper, are coupled with painted maps, dresses and a dollhouse.
Keeping Room
Figureworks is pleased to present, Keeping Room, the galleries first
site-specific installation by Brooklyn based artist Meridith McNeal
on view from March 30 – May 27, 2007.
Keeping Room brings together many ideas that have interested the
artist over the years – history, memory, childhood creative
impulses, domestic interior spaces and narrative. McNeal’s
exhibition honors Figureworks unique position in a 19th century brick
row house by transforming it back into a small Victorian parlor, a
room that was often referred to as a “keeping room”. A few key
pieces of furniture will be placed in the room, chandeliers and
ornate period lamps will provide warm ambient lighting.
McNeal is recognized for bridging period ephemera into her
contemporary artwork. This latest body of wall work features velvet
silhouettes of vintage women’s and children’s dresses cut from
historically designed wallpaper. These pieces are coupled with her
painted maps, this particular series featuring period chandeliers.
All will be hung salon style in ornate gilded frames. In the windows
and between rooms, heavy drapes will reveal delicate muslin sheers
that are embroidered with thin lines to form astrological maps.
These, like the pieces on the walls, explore the idea of time and
personal history.
Freestanding paper pieces include two life-sized mother and child
Victorian dresses, which reversely explore history by using
contemporary Brooklyn maps. A Victorian style dollhouse, built to
resemble Figureworks, has individual rooms of the gallery replicated
within. Tiny paper dresses will inhabit the dollhouse and under bell
jars on the various surfaces around the gallery.
Please join us for the opening reception on Friday, March 30th, from
6-9PM. Figureworks is located at 168 N. 6th St., Williamsburg,
Brooklyn, NY 11211, one block from the Bedford Avenue “L” train.
The gallery is open to the public Friday, Saturday, Sunday from 1-6
PM and is dedicated to exhibiting contemporary and 20th century fine
art of the human form.
Figureworks
168 North 6th Street - Brooklyn, NY