OPENING: ‘THE BEST & THE BRIGHTEST’ at Heller Gallery in New York City

Josepha Gasch-Muche, 23:1:06, 2006. Glass and wood. H 47 1/4, W 47 1/4, D 3 7/8 in. courtesy: Heller Gallery

Heller Gallery is kicking off 2011 with an exhibition entitled “THE BEST & THE BRIGHTEST,” a group show drawn from the gallery’s notable roster of artists. The exhibition will showcase works from Nicole Chesney, Josepha Gasch-Muche, Anja Isphording, Luke Jerram, Vladimira Klumpar, Karen LaMonte, Beth Lipman, Sibylle Peretti, and Lino Tagliapietra.

“There’s no theme other than what the title describes,” says gallery co-owner Doug Heller. “We’re drawing upon works from gallery artists, what we think are some of the best works from some of the brightest talents. It’s almost literal.”

Karen LaMonte, Deluge 2/3, 2008. Cast glass, metal stand. H 61 3/8, W 41, D 20 1/2 in. photo: Martin Polak

LaMonte’s Deluge 2/3, a drapery study, numbers among the featured works. Divided into three panels and composed of varying shades of black and gray, it is like a Japanese sumi-e painting made of cast glass. The title emphasizes the fluid qualities of the many folds and curves worked into the piece, simultaneously evoking billowing fabric and the current of a fast-moving river flooding beyond the boundaries of the metal stand.

In a recent interview with the Hot Sheet, Peretti reflected on her recent interest in feral children. In Boy, she uses glass and mixed media to depict a lone boy bisected by a thin budding branch that spans the length of the wall panel. His relaxed shoulders suggest he is calm, but he remains isolated and distant; his back is to the viewer, and Peretti exaggerates his solitude by cutting off him off mid-torso.

Sibylle Peretti, Boy, 2010. Glass, mixed media. H 22, W 36, D 3/4 in. courtesy: Heller Gallery

Those interested in viewing Lipman’s work will have to wait a week; Craft in America will film the artist while she works at UrbanGlass and puts together an installation in Heller Gallery, which will then become a component of the show.

—Grace Duggan