YOUnity
This past Friday night I had the unique opportunity to hit up a gallery in Greenpoint to see about 50 or 60 unique works by female artists from all over the globe. I went not knowing what to expect and really as the guest of my dear friend, artist dreXeL.
Arriving at the rather nondescript Alphabeta on 70 Greenpoint Ave in Brooklyn I kind of thought it was going to be another small gallery space that was more about getting people to a store/resaurant/bar than the art itself. I was totally wrong. This night was all about the art.
was founded in the big apple in 2007 by international artists Alice Mizrachi and Toofly. After having spent years in the contemporary art world they felt a large void in the organized presence of female artists and that, by in large, they had showcase in which to display their works and ideas. Galleries were too rigid and other locations didn’t allow for the sort of personal expression they needed. So Alice and Toofly decided to find their own space. They had three goals:
- Create a place where females could tell their stories in more universal, down-to-earth voices
- Build a stable community in which they could teach the next generationof women the process of curating exhibitions and successfully spreading artistic ideas
- Allow members to explore their own flavor while retaining their identity within the context of a collective body
download Jackie Brown
Perhaps for me the best piece of the night was the Pen and Ink piece ‘Good Intention’ by Dee Keating. A very simple 8.5 x 11 piece of notebook paper adorned with words such as acceptance, sorrow, joy, wisdom, blessings, and truth, ‘Good Intention’ seemed to really capture a la high school notebook the anxieties and concerns that dominate adolescent life. The best part though was the sense of voyeurism you felt when looking into the spiral bound heart of the artist.
Other quality pieces that caught my eye were ‘Untitled’, a black and white photograph of a hispanic teenager in the city, by Irene Stergios as well as Naomi Martinez’ ‘Music=Love’, a pen and marker piece on bristol paper, and the silkscreen ‘Untitled’ by Swoon.
