Calendar

Exhibition

Presented by BFA Fine Arts

Chromaphilia / Chromophobia

February 8 - 22, 2020
Painting of a young girl sitting in a chair surrounded by various color fields of blue. On the table to her left is a vase containing sunflowers.

Image: Veronica Fernandez

SVA Chelsea Gallery

601 West 26th Street, 15th floor, New York, NY 10001

Reception

Tue, Feb 11; 6:00 - 8:00pm

View from entrance of SVA Chelsea Gallery, with front desk to the right, the exhibition title "Chromophilia/Chromophobia" behind it on the wall, and to the left is a glimpse into the first gallery space.
Entry view of first of four spaces at SVA Chelsea Gallery, showing artwork on three walls and several large sculptures sitting on the floor.
On the left is the exhibition title on gallery wall, with a printed vinyl "bar" of fourteen segmented colors of the rainbow in a horizontal line below it. To the right are two large (approximately 6 feet x 4 feet) abstract paintings using lines and fields of color to create minimalist compositions.
Photograph from front gallery space of nine small pastel-colored paintings hung in a horizontal row, in the center of the frame is a green and red square surface, beyond it is a metal sculpture of a garden, and on the far right is a painting of a cat eying a large steak.
On the right is a large blue painting with a young girl looking at viewer, another painting by same artist in pink and purple is to its left, and on far left are multiple shelves and pedestals containing ceramic works. In the center of the space is a large wooden sculpture in a street art style depicting a $20 bill.
On the left is a large blue painting with a young girl looking at viewer, on the right are two paintings depicting abstract urban scenes.
On the left are multiple sculptural works on pedestals, primarily in geometric shapes, in the center of the frame is a multicolored painting of a person lifting their dress to show colorful tights, and on the right are three large paintings of simply drawn furniture using subtle colors.
To the right are multiple modernist sculptures in geometric shapes, presented on pedestals or hung from the wall, and to the left are five minimalist black paintings on fabric hung from two nails each.
On the left are multiple colorful prints on two walls, on the right is another wall with three subtly colored paintings depicting very minimal spaces with the armatures of furniture items rendered in lines. On the lower left corner of the image are two sculptures in geometric shapes, each on a pedestal.
On the left are three paintings of individuals in bright colors and short, quick brushstrokes. On the right is a grid of twelve small postcard-sized paintings, each in a thin black frame.
A row of five paintings hung in a horizontal row on the wall using abstract and volumetric shapes to create bouquets of flowers and other forms.
On the right is an inset space, painted yellow, with hyper-pigmented painted objects common to a household including a nightstand, chair, and large dollhouse. On a nearby wall to the left is a bright red abstract painting.
On the left is an inset space, painted yellow, with hyper-pigmented painted objects common to a household including a nightstand, chair, and large dollhouse. On the right are three small, colorful embroidery pieces on a nearby wall.
On the left is a yellow-tinted painting of two people drinking from bottles, to its right is a tall plastic cornstalk connected to motors and sensors, and beyond that are many colorful prints hung across the three visible walls.
On the right are several paintings hung on a white wall, and in the center of the frame is a tall plastic cornstalk connected to a series of electronic motors and sensors. On the left is a view of a hallway leading to adjacent gallery spaces.
On the inset space to the left are multiple colorful prints in a horizontal line across two adjacent walls. In the center of the space are four white pedestals, each containing multiple printed books, with plexiglass each of the four surfaces.
In the corner of an inset space are multiple colorful prints in a horizontal line across two adjacent walls. In the center of the space are three white pedestals, each containing multiple printed books, with plexiglass each of the three surfaces.
Four white pedestals, each containing multiple printed books, and covered in large sheets of clear plexiglass.
On the left and back right walls are a long line of colorful prints. In the center of the space are two pedestals with a clear plexiglass top covering their respective surfaces and the books contained within.
On the wall to the right are multiple print works, the farthest two with clouds and text overlaid on top of them, the three to the far right being environmental woodcut prints. On the nearby wall to the left are multiple small lithograph pieces hung directly on the white surface.

School of Visual Arts (SVA) presents “Chromaphilia/Chromophobia,” an exhibition of paintings and sculpture works by BFA Fine Arts students. Curated by BFA Fine Arts Chair Suzanne Anker, Director of Printmaking Operations Gunars Prande (MFA 1993 Fine Arts; BFA 1982 Media Arts), and faculty members Peter Hristoff (BFA 1981 Fine Arts) and David Sandlin, the exhibition will be on view from Saturday, February 8, through Saturday, February 22, at the SVA Chelsea Gallery, 601 West 26th Street, 15th floor, New York City.

 

The Latin roots of chromaphilia and chromaphobia address dual characteristics of color in art throughout its history. While -philia denotes affection, -phobia is an “aversion to.” For the Bauhaus artist Joseph Albers, “color deceives continually”; his studies are proof that as color interacts with other colors, its appearance is perceptually altered, depending on context. Color is mutable, sensory and culturally built upon its subjective meaning, as well. Color, or its absence, induces psychological responses which can be poetic and phenomenological. 

 

From explosive reds to calm greens to electric blues, our color palette allows us intoxicating sensorial experiences. From Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” series, to Reinhardt’s black monochromes, to the Impressionists’ complementary color scales, chroma is a language that has been embedded in art practice since its prehistoric inception. Color effects also depend on their intrinsic material properties. They can be blended and appear flat, matte or glossy depending on their constituent chemistry. From the Impressionists’ use of synthetic pigments to the Color Field artists’ employment of acrylic paint, material and images intersect. 

 

“Chromaphilia/Chromophobia” brings together a group of artists whose work employs color as a defining characteristic. The artists in the exhibition work predominantly in painting, sculpture and printmaking in a variety of genres—portraiture, landscape and abstraction—which reflect their underlying themes and cultural heritage.


Free and open to the public