Evident: Expression and Meaning
Evident: Expression and Meaning
SEPTEMBER 20, 2021 THROUGH DECEMBER 17, 2021
NEW YORK — Wexler Gallery at NYDC presents Evident: Expression and Meaning, an exhibition of new work by Trish DeMasi, Edward McHugh, and Reynold Rodriguez. Evident explores how what seems obvious at first glance contains deeper meaning that imbues the work beyond the initial impression. This exhibition of bold artwork and collectible design opens on September 20 in conjunction with What’s New What’s Next at the New York Design Center, and continues through December 17, 2021. An Open House will be held September 29 and 30, including a reception with the artists on September 29, 4-6pm.
Trish DeMasi’s abstract ceramic sculptures and functional pieces appear to have emerged from the natural environment, yet are not immediately identifiable. Otherworldly elements and unexpected combinations defy reality to create new interpretations of beauty.
The glossy geometries of Edward McHugh’s print collage constructions belie the stories within. Word fragments, doodles, numerical references, architectural notations, and even string are layered inside smoky, sometimes metallic, washes of resin — revelatory without revealing.
McHugh and DeMasi are partners in life and art. Within their distinct artistic practices, each influences the other often subconsciously, without formally collaborating. Their work is complementary, but very different.
The work of Reynold Rodriguez is informed by his industrial design training and activated by his playful mind, creating distinctive pieces with clever, often inscrutable, titles. His perfectionist tendencies are balanced by an innate curiosity and romanticism that elevate his designs. While his objects begin as rigorous 3D models, Rodriguez allows the material tendencies, whether wood or gypsum, to guide the final form.
These three artists pursue their craft through different avenues, but all with an intense commitment — resulting in work that, whether complex or minimal or often both, reveals their dedication while leaving room for evolving interpretation.
For more information or images, please contact Associate Director Cate Andrews at cate@wexlergallery.com or 646-293-6603.
About the Artists
Trish DeMasi creates abstract ceramic sculptures inspired by nature and architecture. Her work is a harmonious combination of biomorphism and rigid geometric forms. Though retaining remnants of the visual source, DeMasi pushes her sculptural vocabulary significantly, until the form becomes something mysterious and new. The sculpture and vessels are usually conceived initially as drawings or paintings and then translated into three-dimensional ceramic works. Each piece is completely hand built in a variety of clay bodies, carved and then glazed in a restricted palate. A graduate of Moore College of Art and Design, DeMasi has over 30 years of experience in design and advertising which serves to inform her aesthetic choices and approach to her artistic medium. Ceramics was a happy accident that has now become an obsession. “I think not having a formal education in clay has been to my advantage. I don’t have any preconceived ideas or restrictions holding me back. I just enjoy experimenting and pushing the limits of the clay. I want to blur the lines between design, fine art, and craft. Labels can stifle creativity. I’m just interested in making things and living a creative life.”
Edward McHugh is an American artist trained as a painter, printmaker, and sculptor. McHugh incorporates photographic methods into what he calls “wax-diffused pigment print” works. By applying a thin layer of archival wax, McHugh imbues a painterly touch to the surface of his prints. A graduate of the Hussian School of Art, Philadelphia, he later studied at Crown Point Press in San Francisco. He has exhibited at the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, Boulder CO; Robert Klein Gallery, Boston MA; Gallery 339, Philadelphia PA; and the Center on Contemporary Art, Seattle WA.
Reynold Rodríguez earned a degree in industrial design at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) before returning to his native Puerto Rico where he heads a design studio in San Juan specializing in the design and production of furniture, interiors, and special projects. “I study the relationship between objects and how they are made. My design ideas are expressed as narratives of the conceptualization process. The growth of our design studio, a source of creativity and production, allows us to develop projects that combine new techniques and materials, giving us the opportunity to challenge traditional standards of industrial design in Puerto Rico.” He is the recipient of many awards, including the I.D. Magazine Design Distinction Award and was a finalist in the International Design Competition in Osaka, Japan for his work in aerodynamic architecture.
