eyewash @ The Tate Chelsea presents Drawings by Lori Ellison, Linda Ganjian and Patricia Smith eyewash@The Tate Chelsea 535 W 23rd St S10G (between 10th and 11th) NYC, NY April 22nd through May 31st, 2005 One night Chelsea Opening and Art exhibition: Friday, April 22nd 6:00-9:00 pm Lori Ellison Notebook Series These two categories have been underscored by responses to 45 drawings I did with ballpoint pens in a college notebook. Three people have said they are like drawings of George Crumb. Someone else remarked that they look like they were done by a mental patient. There was also a memorable discussion about looking for a long time, the mind wandering, doodling and meditation. It is interesting that the same work can conjure up two opposite poles of the same state of the psyche. Lori Ellison This series of drawings is inspired by my love of ornament, as seen mainly in Middle Eastern carpets and also in objects from antiquity (as detailed in Owen Jones' "The Grammar of Ornament"). Looking at carpets and ancient objects, I respond to: the rich variety of form; the neurotic detail within repetitive patterning; the sensual, linear quality to nature-based imagery; and most importantly, the potential of all these elements to be transformed into something else. Linda Ganjian Linda Ganjian Power Surge Patricia Smith Disaster Standing in front of a Patricia Smith drawing is like standing in front of an enlarged Petri dish. Her bundled and entwined shapes look like a cross section of an organism or subculture. They inevitably conjure hours spent in biology class. One drawing depicts a rough circular form, with compact, molecular-like sacks attached to an encasing boarder. Courtney Wise After sketching and modifying these motifs, I place them in a three-dimensional pictorial space where they become free-floating, interwoven sculptural elements, adhering to their own laws of gravity and creating a busy universe of strange activity. Filtered through my contemporary mindset, I try to bring out the protean nature of the motifs, their ability to work on different levels as monuments,architecture, science-fiction creatures, circuitry or machinery components; overall, I prize their ability to suggest new narratives. At the same time, I try to maintain a hint of the process of weaving, through a visual vocabulary of threads and hooks and a color scheme reminiscent of carpets. Much as carpets were used as symbolic vehicles, marking the weaver's and owner's set of beliefs and position in the world, these drawings to me symbolize a meeting of East and West, ancient and contemporary, that marks my time and place in the world. Linda Ganjian Linda Ganjian Entanglement Pump Linda Ganjian drawings 1, drawings 2, sculpture page 1, sculpture page 2 Inside the sacks are doughnut-shaped masses, partitioned into units. Another drawing depicts twisted strings of mass uncurling its ends across the paper, illusionary to a mountain range or unusual fungi. However, these drawings are more than references to nature. They are references to small communities trying to exist. When one looks at the titles of these drawings it is apparent that these drawings are designs intended for actual organizations. It is also apparent that they are completely nonsensical. As Smith states, "these drawings start out practical but become futile [in their attempt to achieve purpose.]" The titles Public Housing Project and Shared Headquaters (Bioresearch/Bartending) do not reveal anything specific about the image, but makes the viewer question what exactly the image is. The titles thus become unusual statements on functionality gone awry. As such, they invoke conversation on non-ideal and illogical human constructs. This conversation is important because it questions the integrity and legitimacy of small communities or institutions that often appear defective or poorly executed. Courtney Wise Artist, Educator and Curator LARRY WALCZAK started eyewash in June 1997 on the 3rd Floor of a turn-of-the-century residential building in Williamsburg. Since January 2002, it has been a "migratory gallery," either collaborating with other galleries, or producing shows in borrowed or otherwise temporarily acquired spaces. It specializes in showcasing emerging and mid-career artists from Brooklyn. F O R F U R T H E R I N F O R M A T I O N Please contact LARRY WALCZAK at 718 387 2714