Exhibition Catalogue / Winter 2020-2021 / The Irving and Aaronel deRoy Gruber Foundation

Geometrics, Bon Vivant, Equalibrial Wonder 2020 - 2021 Catalogue

The Irving and Aaronel deRoy Gruber Foundation is pleased to present a new three-part exhibition at the Foundation’s gallery in the Ice House Studios, Pittsburgh. GEOMETRICS / BON VIVANT / EQUILIBRIAL WONDER features artist Aaronel deRoy Gruber’s Plexiglas jewelry, screenprints and monochromatic vacuum-formed Plexiglas sculptures respectively - created during the 1960s and 1970s.

GEOMETRICS was the brand identity formed by deRoy Gruber in the early 1970s through which the artist designed and distributed small-scale, wearable versions of the vacuum-formed Plexiglas sculptures she had come to master within a fine-art context. Single, double and triple tier pendant arrangements designed to be worn around the neck were crafted alongside a variety of belt-buckles consisting of a single vibrant Plexiglas composition affixed on a metal-plated base.

Nearly twenty select pieces from the original Geometrics collection are on view including several from the deRoy Gruber collection as well as from the collection of Beth Rudin DeWoody, Melissa McSwigan & Robert Rzaka, Frieda Cushing, and the artist’s daughter, Jamie deRoy. BON VIVANT - borrowed from the title of deRoy Gruber’s smallest serigraph printed in 1976 - presents an array of the artist’s mutlicolor screenprints throughout which Day-Glo fluorescent pigments are heavily integrated. Eight compositions proffer the artist’s rounded square motif, repeated in both a grid formation and in a radial arrangement.

Prepared for the exhibition is a limited edition screenprint by Pittsburgh-based designer Andrew Paul in which he incorporated deRoy Gruber’s original 1960s studio Day-Glo dry pigments.

EQUILIBRIAL WONDER will debut deRoy Gruber’s early greyscale and translucent Plexiglas sculptures constructed during the artist’s early years with sculpture which would establish the structural hallmarks of deRoy Gruber’s three dimensional works in the years that followed.

Entrance Foyer All artworks by Aaronel deRoy Gruber Square Peg in a Round Hole 1971 Serigraph 28.5 x 28.5 inches

Life of Its Own Mini 1971 Plexiglas, metal 19 x 14 x 16.5 inches

Entrance Foyer All artworks by Aaronel deRoy Gruber Untitled Plexiglas, metal 35 x 25 x 35 inches

Inside Women’s Blues 1969 Edition 2/22 Serigraph 19 x 18 inches

Platform All artworks by Aaronel deRoy Gruber Mirror, Mirror - Reflections 1967 Plexiglas 30 x 30 x 4 inches

Untitled 1971 Plexiglas 20 x 10 x 10 inches

Platform All artworks by Aaronel deRoy Gruber Orbital Cube Mini c 1960s Plexiglas 11 x 9 x 11 inches

1971 Clear Plexiglas wrist cuff Layers of vacuum-formed Plexiglas in clear, pink and blue Signed, Aaronel © 1971 Collection of Jamie deRoy

Platform All artworks by Aaronel deRoy Gruber

c 1970s Layers of vacuum-formed Plexiglas in pink, orange and red Mounted on metal plated buckle With white patent leather belt Signed on verso, Aaronel ©

c 1970s Layers of vacuum-formed Plexiglas in white, grey and black Mounted on metal plated buckle With woven crochet black and white belt

1970s Layers of vacuum-formed Plexiglas in blue, orange and yellow Mounted on metal plated buckle With blue suede belt

Collection of Jamie deRoy

Collection of Jamie deRoy

Collection of Jamie deRoy

1980 Layers of vacuum-formed Plexiglas in clear, green and opaque pearlized white Mounted on metal plated buckle With green patent leather belt Signed on verso, Aaronel deRoy Gruber © 1980

c 1970s Layers of vacuum-formed Plexiglas in orange, white and black Mounted on metal plated buckle With woven crochet multi-colored belt Signed on verso, Aaronel ©

Collection of the Irving and Aaronel deRoy Gruber Foundation

Collection of Jamie deRoy

Jewelry All artworks by Aaronel deRoy Gruber 1970s Two rounded-square pendants ascending in size Layers of vacuum-formed Plexiglas in clear and opaque pearlized white Original metal choker and fasteners Signed, Aaronel Š Collection of Jamie deRoy

1970s Three rounded-square pendants ascending in size Layers of vacuum-formed Plexiglas in clear, purple, yellow, orange and pink with clear Plexiglas crescent collar Original metal chain and fasteners Signed, Aaronel Š Collection of Beth Rudin DeWoody

Jewelry All artworks by Aaronel deRoy Gruber 1983 Layers of vacuum-formed Plexiglas in blue, pink and orange Mounted on custom metal plated buckle marked, Hallett Sterling (Pittsburgh) Signed on verso, Aaronel deRoy Gruber Š 1983 Collection of Frida Cushing

1970s Single rounded-square pendant encased in sterling silver surround Layers of vacuum-formed Plexiglas in green, grey and opaque white Original unique metal choker with integrated closure marked, Hallett Sterling (Pittsburgh) Collection of Frieda Cushing

Jewelry All artworks by Aaronel deRoy Gruber 1970s Single rounded-square pendant Layers of vacuum-formed Plexiglas in clear, pink and yellow Original metal choker and fasteners marked, Hallett Sterling (Pittsburgh) Signed, Aaronel Š Collection of Frieda Cushing

1971 Single rounded-square pendant Layers of vacuum-formed Plexiglas in clear, blue, pink and yellow With oil-based solution Original metal chain and fasteners Signed, Aaronel Š 1971 Collection of the Irving and Aaronel deRoy Gruber Foundation

Jewelry All artworks by Aaronel deRoy Gruber 1971 Single rounded-square pendant Layers of vacuum-formed Plexiglas in clear, grey, black and opaque white Original metal choker and fasteners marked, Hallett Sterling (Pittsburgh) Signed, Aaronel Š 1971 Collection of the Irving and Aaronel deRoy Gruber Foundation

1971 Three rounded-square pendants ascending in size Layers of vacuum-formed Plexiglas in clear, red, blue and opaque white Original metal choker and fasteners Signed, Aaronel Š 1971 Collection of Frieda Cushing

Jewelry All artworks by Aaronel deRoy Gruber c 1970s Single rounded-square pendant Layers of vacuum-formed Plexiglas in clear and opaque pearlized white Original metal choker and fasteners Collection of the Irving and Aaronel deRoy Gruber Foundation

c 1970s Single rounded-square pendant Layers of vacuum-formed Plexiglas in clear and orange Restored metal choker and fasteners Signed, Aaronel Š Collection of the Irving and Aaronel deRoy Gruber Foundation

Jewelry All artworks by Aaronel deRoy Gruber c 1970s Three rounded-square pendants ascending in size Layers of vacuum-formed Plexiglas in clear, orange and yellow Restored metal choker and fasteners Signed, Aaronel Š Collection of the Irving and Aaronel deRoy Gruber Foundation

1973 Single rounded-square pendant Layers of vacuum-formed Plexiglas in clear, yellow, grey and black Original metal chain and fasteners Signed, Aaronel Š 1973 Collection of Frieda Cushing

Jewelry All artworks by Aaronel deRoy Gruber c 1970s Single rounded-square pendant Layers of vacuum-formed Plexiglas in clear and opaque pearlized white Original metal choker and fasteners Collection of the Irving and Aaronel deRoy Gruber Foundation

c 1970s Single rounded-square pendant encased in goldplated surround Layers of vacuum-formed Plexiglas in clear, pink, orange and yellow Original metal crescent collar and chain Collection of Frieda Cushing

Jewelry All artworks by Aaronel deRoy Gruber c 1970s Single rounded-square pendant Layers of vacuum-formed Plexiglas in yellow and orange Mounted on metal plate Original chain and fasteners Collection of Melissa McSwigan and Robert Raczka

SCULPTURES (Front to Back) All artworks by Aaronel deRoy Gruber Stacked Sculptural Components of Triaxial Plexiglas 36.5 x 20 x 21 inches

Equalibrial Wonder 10�, Black 1969 Plexiglas Signed 14.5 x 14 x 16 inches

SCULPTURES (Front to Back) All artworks by Aaronel deRoy Gruber Equalibrial Wonder 18”, Black 1968 Plexiglas Signed 25 x 26.5 x 20 inches

Equalibrial Wonder 22”, Black Plexiglas 27.5 x x 31 inches

SCULPTURES (Front to Back) All artworks by Aaronel deRoy Gruber Equalibrial Wonder 6�, Clear 1970 Plexiglas Signed 8.5 x 8.5 x 6 inches

Moment in Time and Space 1972 Plexiglas, metal, chrome base, motor, light 34 x 27 x 26 inches

SCULPTURES (Front to Back) All artworks by Aaronel deRoy Gruber Orbital Cube Maxi c 1960s Plexiglas 37 x 37.5 x 38 inches

Life of Its Own 1971 Plexiglas 18.5 x 24 x 24 inches

SCULPTURES (Front to Back) All artworks by Aaronel deRoy Gruber Equalibrial Wonder 5�, Black Plexiglas 5 x 7 x 7 inches

Retrocube Maxi 1969 Plexiglas, metal, motor Signed 43 x 26 x 26 inches

SCULPTURES (Front to Back) All artworks by Aaronel deRoy Gruber Retrocube 1976 Plexiglas, metal, motor Signed 32 x 14 x 14 inches

Retrocube 1971 Plexiglas, metal, motor Signed 32 x 14 x 14 inches

LEFT WALL All artworks by Aaronel deRoy Gruber Interim and Suggested Outerim II, 1968 Edition of 40 Print 25.5 x 19.5 inches

To Each His Own Artist Proof 1967 Print 24 x 15 inches

Red Guards Artist Proof 1967 Print Edition 1/3 24 x 15 inches

Platform All artworks by Aaronel deRoy Gruber Green Pastures Artist Proof 1967 Print 18.5 x 25.5 inches

Two Editions of Bon Vivant, 1976 Edition of 10 screenprint, framed, unframed 11 x 8 inches

Hallway All artworks by Aaronel deRoy Gruber Seven Editions of Septet 1967 Editions of 15 Screenprint, signed 61.5 x 37 inches

Interior Lounge All artworks by Aaronel deRoy Gruber Syncopation c 1960s Acrylic on canvas, original wood frame Signed 37 x 61 inches Graciously loaned by the family of Alex and Margie Ellenbogen