May 26th – June 17th, 2018
630 Flushing Ave. 2nd Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11206
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Other days by appointment: reartshow@gmail.com
Curator Efrem Zelony-Mindell Brings Together 57 Artists At Phizer Building For Re: Art Show 21
As a general rule, I am opposed to applying clichéd terms like “polymath” to the creative people that I write about. But when it comes to Efrem Zelony-Mindell, I find myself fighting the use of that particular term more than I normally would. A curator, writer, and artist, Zelony-Mindell has one of the sharpest and most unique eyes in the contemporary New York art underground, not to mention a literary and poetic point of view on aesthetics that he imbues into all of his work. Whether he’s creating abstract and geometrical paintings, musing on the technological optimism of artist Sara Cwynar, or identifying images that broaden queer representation without actually depicting sexualized queer bodies (as in the exhibition he curated at the Rubber Factory newflesh: representing queerness beyond the body), Zelony-Mindell has cultivated an eye for the opaque and the bewildering art and images that nonetheless bristle with meaning and contemporary dialog. Allergic to all things obvious and over-explained, Zelony-Mindell reinforces contemporary art as a space where the imagination is allowed to expand and drift. “The imagination has the ability to unlock the potential and reality of the plausible world,” says Zelony-Mindell. “I think people need a supportive opportunity to make up their own decisions and to be affirmed in knowing that their own feelings and interpretations of things, art specifically, aren’t wrong”.
Zelony-Mindell has now curated the latest iteration of the Re: Art Show, curatorial project headed by Erin Davis and Max C Lee that sees portions of the iconic Pfizer Pharmaceutical building in Brooklyn converted into curatorial spaces in which large numbers of impressively diverse artists can see their works interact with the unique nature of the building. For this year’s exhibition, entitled, Re: Art Show 21, This is Not Here, Zelony-Mindell posted an open call for submissions that eventually resulted in a sprawling roster of 57 artists working in various mediums. Amongst the more well-known artists with works in the exhibition are photographer Patricia Voulgaris, photographer Ilona Szwarc, and the late Abstract Expressionist photographer Aaron Siskind. But, true to Zelony-Mindell’s nature, I have already discovered several fascinating emerging artists who I might have not have ever learned about had Zelony-Mindell not discovered them for me: the evocative geometric images of artist Jaclyn Wright, the queer-leaning portraits of artist Daniel Rampulla, and the metallic sculptures of artist Jessie English have all warped my brain in the best possible ways. Zelony-Mindell and I communicated over email to discuss his curatorial philosophies and how they impacted the behemoth of an exhibition that is Re: Art Show 21.
Adam Lehrer: One thing I’ve admired about you is your ability to hone in on images. You seem to have the ability to immerse yourself in an image without overt regard to its maker, eschewing any kind of celebrity/artist worship. Is this accurate? If so, is that how you go about curating a large exhibition? Because largely, I must admit, I don’t know a lot of these artists.
Efrem Zelony-Mindell: I guess the first thing I have to say is thank you! I’m incredibly lucky to do a job where I get to meet with, talk to, and get to know—on many different levels—people who make things. To me that’s just a strange coincidence and a natural part of what it is that I do. It’s my job, and having the opportunity to share with artists intimately is a totally fulfilling pleasure. You are correct though, coincidence aside, knowing the artists at whatever level they are at in their careers has no baring on my interest in the work. My commitment is to the work first and foremost. In curating This Is Not Here: RE 21, as with any show, work comes first. I was very lucky to have an incredibly strong response to the open call that was put out for this show. I received 132 submissions (as well as reached out to 40 artists individually) and really enjoyed looking through them all. I do research the people who I work with because it’s also my responsibility as a curator to be making room for every kind of person. I’m incredibly excited for everyone to get to know all 57 of these artists, they are all incredibly important, passionate, and hard working folks.
