J STONER BLACKWELL &
MASAMITSU SHIGETA
APRIL 10 - MAY 22, 2021
SITUATIONS is pleased to present a two-artist exhibition of J Stoner Blackwell and Masamitsu Shigeta. Opening this Saturday, April 10th from 3 - 7pm, the show runs through May 22nd, 2021. The artists are united by their close observation of daily life and the ensuing materiality utilized in their practices.
Blackwell presents six works from their ongoing series titled, Neveruses (never·uses). Neveruses are lumpish, androgynous objects comprised of recovered plastic bags and colored fibers such as wool yarn, silk thread, and patterned cloth. One work hangs on the wall, while two works lie on a table, and three are set in the window bay. Blackwell invites visitors to pick up and handle the objects. Blackwell relates their ‘Neveruses’ to two-sided painting, and such, viewers are able to see both sides of the painting through this personal interaction.
During the pandemic, Shigeta painted a series of works on paper featuring a central focal point. Lamp posts, tree trunks, fencing and shadows observed during his daily walks through the city are recurring motifs. Once Shigeta completes a painting, he conceives and builds a unique frame, often recycling materials such as insulation foam, plastic, aluminium, foamcore, etc. Ten of these paintings hang in a row as unified entities. Additionally, for this exhibition Shigeta reversed his process, building the frames first for two new shaped canvases. They mirror one another as contrasting daytime and nighttime views.
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J STONER BLACKWELL (b. 1972, New Orleans, Louisiana) currently lives and works in Bennington, VT. Their work has been exhibited in venues such as the Museum of Arts and Design, NY; The Mackintosh Museum at the Glasgow School of Art; The Contemporary Arts Center in New Orleans; and MoMA PS1, NY. Solo exhibitions include Kate MacGarry, London; John Tevis Gallery, Paris, FR; Rachel Uffner Gallery, NY; Ooga Booga, LA; Galleria Alessandro de March, Milan, Italy. Blackwell’s work was also included in Vitamin T: Threads + Textiles in Contemporary Art, published by Phaidon Press in 2019. Honors include a grant from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation, and fellowships from the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation, ZKU Berlin, Santa Fe Art Institute, the Delfina Studio Trust in London, and the Corporation of Yaddo. Blackwell’s exhibition, Neveruses: Beyonder, Bennington Museum, VT is currently on view. This year Blackwell was awarded a Guggenheim fellowship.
MASAMITSU SHIGETA (b. 1992, Tokyo, Japan) currently works in New York City. He holds a BFA from the School of Visual Arts and is currently working toward an MFA at New York University. He has been in group shows at Chinatown Soup Gallery, NY and Tutu Gallery, NY. This is Shigeta’s inaugural exhibition with SITUATIONS.