FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
 
Artspace
50 Orange Street (corner of Orange & Crown)
New Haven, CT 06510
artspacenh.org
Phone – 203.772.2709
Email – shannon@artspacenh.org
‘Toonskin: May 11–Jun 30, 2013
 
Artspace is pleased to announce the upcoming exhibition, ‘Toonskin, organized by artist Kenya (Robinson) and running from May 11 through June 30, 2013. An opening reception will be held on May 11, 2013 from 5:00–8:00 PM.
 
Sequential art holds an important place in the development of American myth making and within this sphere the caricature of Blackness has a long animated history. Tom and Jerry, the best of enemies, present a compelling model for the complex relationship between Blacks and whites, while the minstrel underpinnings of Mickey Mouse offer a glimpse into the convoluted histories that inform American pop culture. The symbiotic relationship between early animation and Jazz emphasizes the American-ness of Black identity, codified by the likes of Betty Boop, Coal Black, and The Sebben Dwarves. Bugs Bunny is a direct descendant of the irrepressible Br’er Rabbit, while the Road Runner series freely samples tenets from trickster folklore of the African Diaspora. Even “The Man of Steel,” the preeminent figure of comic book superheroism, bears traces of John Henry, the original “Steel Drivin’ Man.” Often acting as the foil to the main characters or, in the case of Felix the Cat, serving as the inspirational touchstone for design and mannerisms, these representations are ultimately limiting in nature.
 
‘Toonskin attempts to perforate and expand these limits by bringing together contemporary visual artists who reinterpret, recreate, and redefine Blackness—and otherness more generally—within an animated context. The artists featured in ‘Toonskin represent the ongoing exchange of influences that characterize the American cultural landscape. ‘Toonskin will not examine Blackness solely as an expression of identity; works included will also consider the physical nature of ‘black’ and blackness as a formal choice. The inking of printed comics and animation cells is monopolized by the color, while ‘zine culture relies upon black as the photocopier standard. ‘Toonskin will dip into the inkwell to investigate the visible and engrossing trail of these wanderings.
 
Featured artists include:
 
DAWOLU JABARI ANDERSON
MICHAEL PAUL BRITTO
COLLEEN COLEMAN
KARA CROMBIE
DAMIEN DAVIS
JASON HUFF
LAUREN KELLEY
NYEEMA MORGAN
JASMINE MURRELL
JON PECK + BEN NIZNIK
SHANI PETERS
ROBERT PRUITT
ERIKA RANEE
JACOLBY SATTERWHITE
JEFFERY SCUDDER
PETER SLUSZKA
KATAYOUN VAZIRI
 
About the Organizer:
 
‘Toonskin curator Kenya (Robinson) is a community-taught artist from Gainesville, Florida and a past resident of the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council’s WorkSpace Program (2009–2010) and the 2010 Triangle Arts Workshop. Her work is included in the White Columns Artist Registry and her sculptural work has been exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Diasporan Arts, the Jersey City Museum, the Aljira Center for Contemporary Art, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and the 60 Wall Street Gallery of Deutsche Bank. Curatorial projects include Ves.sel (2010) and African-Americana (2009), both at the Brennan Gallery in Jersey City and Sonic Diagrams (2012) at Recess Activities in Soho. In addition, her performances have been featured at Rush Arts Gallery, the Museum of Modern Art, the DUMBO Arts Festival, Walmart–Store #2371, and the Kitchen Performance Space in New York City. Her bibliography includes selections in the Home and New York Regional Sections of the New York Times as well as the International Review of African American Art. She is a regular contributor to the Huffington Post (www.huffingtonpost.com/kenya-/). Ms. (Robinson) is currently pursuing an MFA in sculpture at the Yale School of Art and is serving as a visiting teacher at the Metropolitan Business Academy in New Haven.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
 
Artspace
50 Orange Street (corner of Orange & Crown)
New Haven, CT 06510
artspacenh.org
Phone – 203.772.2709
Email – shannon@artspacenh.org
 
March 2013
New Artists Accepted Into the Artspace Flatfile Program
New Acquisitions Show: May 11–June 30, 2013
 
Artspace is pleased to announce the acceptance of six Connecticut-based artists—Lani Asuncion, Robert Gregson, David Livingston, Allison Meyler, Aurora Pellizzi, and Lawrence Russ—into its Flatfile program. An exhibition of their work will run from May 11th to June 30th with an artist reception on May 11th from 5:00–8:00 PM.
 
The Flatfile program was conceived by and for artists as a way to build exposure for their work. Local and regional artists apply annually for inclusion and are selected by a jury of respected local artist peers and the Artspace staff. Artists represented in the Flatfile work in a variety of media—photography, printmaking, various kinds of drwing, artist books—and include recipients of the state art agency’s distinguished Artist Fellowship, the Aldrich Museum’s Radius Emerging Artist Award, alumni of the Weir Farm and Vermont Studio Center residency programs, a MacArthur Genius Grant winner, as well as numerous other professional recognitions. Artspace’s collection is a significant community resource, both for the quality of the works and for its unusual ease of access; prior appointments to view the work are encouraged but not required. Guest curators and community leaders are frequently invited to organize shows utilizing works in the Flatfile and all works are available for purchase by patrons of the gallery. No other institution in the Greater New Haven area provides such direct and immediate contact with recently made works of art.
 
Lani Asuncion, a multimedia artist and adjunct professor at Quinnipiac University, addresses questions of ethnicity and cultural heritage through her video and photography practice. She has been the recipient of artist residencies at the Contemporary Arts Center of Woodside and the Caldera Arts Center. Her work has been shown nationally and internationally in Santa Fe, Los Angeles, New York, Gothenburg, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Her work can be viewed online at laniasuncion.com.
 
Robert Gregson, who completed his BFA at the Hartford Art School and his MFA at the Art Institute of Chicago, has based his photographic practice around capturing captivating architectural details. He has been honored with the Spirit of Connecticut Award and the Governor’s Tourism Award from the State of Connecticut and has been featured in numerous solo and group shows throughout the northeast. His work can be viewed online at www.bobgregson.com.
 
David Livingston’s artistic practice encompasses drawing, collage, text, sculpture, and performance pieces centered on organic shapes and worm-like imagery. He received his BFA from Kenyon College and his MFA from the Pratt Institute. He was a 2011 resident at the Vermont Studio Center and his work was featured in the Governor’s Island Art Fair in both 2011 and 2012. His work can be viewed online at davidlivingstonart.com.
 
Allison Meyler, a Wellesley graduate and frequent contributor to the Ridgefield artistic community, combines traditional drawing tools and acrylic paint in her multimedia practice. Utilizing a grid formed by multiple sheets of paper, she conceives of her works as a continuous piece before separating them out into component parts. Her work can be viewed online at www.allisonmeyler.com.
 
Aurora Pellizzi, a New Haven artist born in Mexico City, received a BA in Art History from New York University and a BFA from the Cooper Union. Her work incorporates her experiences with traditional craft while employing contemporary materials and technology. She has been featured in solo and group shows in the United States, Mexico, and Colombia. Her work can be viewed online at aurorapellizzi.com.
 
Lawrence Russ, a poet and photographer, studied Writing and the History of Art during his undergraduate years at the University of Michigan and Writing during his MFA program at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. His photographic work, which combines aspects of the surreal, the impressionist, and the abstract, has been selected for exhibition by distinguished jurors throughout the United States and was recently selected for international recognition in the Color Magazine Single Image Contest Issue. His work can be viewed online at www.lawrenceruss.com/.
 
Artspace is very grateful to receive exhibition and operating support from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, the City of New Haven Office of Economic Development, the Connecticut Office of the Arts, the Greater New Haven Community Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, First Niagara Bank and New Alliance Foundations, Webster Bank, Yale University, and individual Friends of Artspace.