LAURA SCHIFF BEAN REDEFINED
L AURA SC HI F F BEA N REDE FIN E D N E W W ORK S I N AC RYLIC AN D M IXED M EDIA
NOVEM BER 5 - 30, 201
Pat r ic ia Rovza r G a l l er y is ple as ed to pre s e nt Redef ine d, a so lo exh i b i t i on of n ew wo rk in acr y lic by Laura S chiff B ean. A re c ept i o n for t h e a r t i st w ill be held F irst T hurs day, Nove m b er 5 t h, from 6 :0 0 to 8 :0 0 PM. T he exhibitio n w ill co ntinue t h ro u gh Novem be r 30th. W h ile ea r n i n g h e r BA i n Psycho lo g y at Ge o rge Was hingto n U n ivers i t y i n Wa s h i n gton DC, Laura S chiff B e an als o atte nde d c lasse s at t h e C orco ra n S cho o l o f Art. In 1991, S chiff B e an en ro lled for m a l l y at t h e S cho o l o f T he M us e um o f F ine Arts in B o sto n a n d atte n d ed thro ug h 1997. It was here that s he b egan to i n cor p o rate h er interest in hum an nature w ith her ar t . H er wo r k ca n b e fo und in bo th co rpo rate and private co llec t i o n s a n d s h e h a s be en include d in m any s o lo exhibi t i o n s t h ro u gho ut the United S tate s .
PAT RIC IA R OV Z A R GA LLE RY 1225 SECOND AVENUE, SEATTLE, WA 98101 2 0 6- 223- 0273 w w w. rovzargaller y.co m
Red ef i n e d 2015 Fo r a s l o ng a s I ca n re me mber, c l o t hi ng , spec if i ca ll y dresses, h a s held a l o t o f i m p orta nc e for me . I t is n o wo nder they have beco me a c entral the m e i n my work a s I ex p l ore my wo r l d a nd my i n ner sel f. The d resses have unde rgone a meta morpho si s over th e yea rs a s my sea rc h fo r self ha s expa nd e d, e ncomp a s s i ng issues fa r mo re p erso na l, a n d co nvers ely fa r m o re uni ve rs a l .
Our cho i ce of w hat we we a r o f ten ref lec t s o ur va lues a n d o ur ideas abo ut t he worl d . D re s s ca n def ine o ur ethni c ba c k g ro und, reli g ious be l i efs, so c i o- e conomi c stat u s, po l i ti ca l ideo l o g y a n d mo re. What we we a r spe a ks vol ume s to t he wo r l d befo re we ever say a wo rd . We use dre ss a s a cost u me to a c com p li sh the ta sks at h a nd, def ini n g (disgu i s i ng ? ) ou rs e l ve s a s eff i c i e nt bu si ness peo pl e, a r t i st i c perso na li ties, sexua l be i ng s , or “cool ” pe op le. S o met i mes, just pu tti n g o n th e c l o thes ca n m a ke u s be l i eve t hat we a re who we t hi nk we a re p retendi ng to be . I n m a ny ways t he c l ot he s we wea r ca n redef ine o ur sense o f self.
I n t he e nd, my dre s s e s a re f ig u res, ea c h o ne spea k in g to me i n t heir own u ni qu e way. Surfa c e s a re endowed with the qua li ty o f f lesh; s ensua l , raw, a n d s ca rre d by t he c r iti ca l mo ment s a nd tu r ning po i nts that ind e l i bl y m a rk our l i ve s , T he dresses themselves revea l a n interior wo r l d o f uns poke n s e c ret s , l eaving t he a r ti st , a nd with l u c k , th e viewe r, fe e l i ng j ust a l i tt l e bi t na ked.
A Quiet Conversation, 2015 Acrylic & mixed media on panel 56” x 42”
Between the Sky and the River, 2015 Acrylic & mixed media on panel 48” x 36”
Heart of the Sun, 2015 Acrylic & mixed media on panel 48” x 36”
It’s A Wonderful Ride, 2015 Acrylic & mixed media on panel 52” x 40”
Shadow of the Waves, 2015 Acrylic & mixed media on panel 48” x 36”
Reverie, 2015 Acrylic & mixed media on panel 48” x 48”
Canopy of Blue, 2015 Acrylic & mixed media on panel 48” x 42”
Softly Spoken, 2015 Acrylic & mixed media on panel 48” x 40”
Whisper and Hush, 2015 Acrylic & mixed media on panel 56” x 48”
White TuTu, 2015 Acrylic & mixed media on panel 40 “x 33”
Wings of Song, 2015 Acrylic and mixed media on panel 52” x 40”
The Reasons Escape Me, 2014 Acrylic & mixed media on panel 48” x 36”
Defined Boundaries, 2014 Acrylic & mixed media on panel 52” x 40”
LAURA SCHIFF BEAN Massachusetts artist Laura Schiff Bean has always found significance in clothing, particularly in dresses. For many years she has used clothing as a stand-in for the figure, reflecting on identity and gender. For Bean, dresses have served as defining icons as she has searched for a definition of self and later for things more abstract and indefinable. Clothing is a powerful and perhaps dangerous vehicle that allows us to define people, correctly or incorrectly, without knowing any more about that person than they allow us to know. As her search expanded, the dresses underwent a metamorphosis, encompassing issues far more personal and conversely, more universal. Her ethereal paintings are a daily record of her search for the truth as well as homage to the searches of women who have come before, as the dresses reveal an interior world of unspoken secrets and leave the viewer possibly feeling a bit naked.
SOLO & TWO PERSON SHOWS 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009
Patricia Rovzar Gallery, “Redefined”, Seattle, WA Lanoue Fine Art, “Defined/Undefined”, Boston, MA Gilman Contemporary, “DEFINED”, Ketchum, ID Argazzi Art, Lakeville, CT Gilman Contemporary, “She Comes and Goes As She Pleases”, Ketchum, ID Argazzi Art, Lakeville, CT Lanoue Fine Art, “24/7”, Boston, MA Pryor Fine Art, “New Work”, Atlanta, GA Blue Gallery, Kansas City, MO Gallery One, “INTERSECTIONS: Between Dreams and Memory”, Nashville, TN Bennett Street Gallery, “New Work”, Atlanta, GA Lanoue Fine Art, “JOURNEY”, Boston, MA
GROUP SHOWS 2014 Patricia Rovzar Gallery, “Celebrate Art”, Seattle, WA 2013 Lanoue Fine Art, “A Few Of My Favorite Things”, Boston, MA 2012 Argazzi Fine Art, Lakeville, CT Lanoue Fine Art, “Summer Salon Show”, Boston, MA Rosenbaum Contemporary, Boca Raton, FL Floria/Forre, Aspen, CO Art MRKT, San Francisco, CA Argazzi Fine Art, Lakeville,CT West Branch Gallery, Stowe, VT Forre Fine Art, Aspen/Vail, CO 2011 Gilman Contemporary, Ketchum, ID Lanoue Fine Art, “Spring Group Show”, Boston, MA Forre Fine Art, Aspen, CO
BACK COVER: Little Dancer, Age 14, 2015, Acrylic & mixed media on panel, 42” x 32”
2010 Lanoue Fine Art, Boston, MA Blue Gallery, Kansas City, MO Lanoue Fine Art, Boston, MA 2009 Lanoue Fine Art, Boston, MA Bennett Street Gallery, Atlanta, GA 2008 Lanoue Fine Art, Boston, MA Bennett Street Gallery, Atlanta, GA Gallery One, “In Minds Eye”, Nashville, TN 2007 Cumberland Gallery, “Packages Large & Small”, Nashville, TN Cumberland Gallery, “Artists In Heat”, Nashville,TN Lanoue Fine Art, “VISIONS: Contemporary Female Artists”, Boston, MA Lanoue Fine Art, Boston, MA 2006 Etherington Fine Art, Vineyard Haven, MA 2005 Windsor Gallery, Dania, FL 2003 Family Tree Gallery, Portsmouth, NH Hanson Gallery, Wellfleet, MA 2001 Artana Gallery, Framingham, MA
MUSEUMS 2009 2007
Endicott College, Beverly, MA. February BOSTON PAINTS: 22 Boston Painters ELEANOR D. WILSON MUSEUM at Hollis University, VA . July “VISIONS: CONTEMPORARY FEMALE ARTISTS”
P U B L I C AT I ON S New York Times 1/23/2014 La keville Journal, C T 7/2012 New England H ome Magazine 3/2012 ArtScope 3/2009 ArtScope 7/2008 Boston Globe 3/23/2000 Arts Media, December 1996
S E L EC T E D CO RP O RATE CO L L EC TIO NS Bellevue Research Inc, Cambridge, MA Es cada Retail Inc, Boston, MA Medical Portfolio Mgmt., LLC, Cambridge, MA St. Regis Hotels, Atlanta, GA Gaylord Entertainment Resorts, Nashville, TN
ED U C AT I O N 1991-1997 School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Diploma Program Boston 1970-1974 George Washington University, BA
PAT R I C I A R O V Z A R
G A L L E RY
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