At Home
by Elaine Slayton Akin
Curator Anna Zeitlin Recreates the Gallery Space Zeitgeist through April 29
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eitgeist Gallery’s current exhibition, At Home, is not only a smart grouping of (mostly) abstract works on paper; it is delightfully layered in meaning. According to curator Anna Zeitlin, “at home” was the 20th-century term for afternoon visiting hours meant for socializing with extended family and friends. Inspired by a 1940s Emily Post volume from Zeitlin’s personal collection of vintage etiquette books, the title aligns today’s gallery with the historical salon where visitors would casually gather to discuss art. Zeitlin believes we have lost a little of our capacity for personal interaction since the days of the salon and sees At Home as a way to reinforce the gallery’s position as a welcoming venue for all—closer to a warm living room than a place of mere transaction.
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Beyond its past meaning, “at home” is also intended to incite feelings of the viewer’s personal residence, so that the art you see in the gallery could also be art you live with, art you would want in your home.
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Rami Kim, 2017, Hand built ceramic 1. Three Faces, 2” x 2” x 6” 2. Girl Head, 2” x 2” x 2” 3. Polka Dot Girl with a Kitty, 2” x 2” x 7” 4. Girl Head with a Kitty, 2” x 2” x 4”
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