Virtual Opening Reception: Gruskin + Kessler

LaiSun Keane is pleased to announce a two-person exhibition of Boston-area artists, Nancy Gruskin and Jordan Kessler, titled What We Had on Hand, from August 1 - 22, 2020, to be held at our special Pop-Up location at 15 Central St, Wellesley, Massachusetts.

What We Had On Hand presents a juxtaposition of two artists’ work made during the ongoing pandemic lockdown. Nancy Gruskin and Jordan Kessler work with different art mediums but serendipitously produced works that were inspired by found objects. Their works are different interpretations of still life from diverse points of views and mediums.

In her series of paintings and wood sculptures, Nancy Gruskin eschews a narrative for a more improvisational approach to composition. Many of the objects depicted are personal items that were readily accessible during the months of the COVID-19 lockdown. The same tulips, decorative boxes, vases, and ceramic pieces appear repeatedly, but not as a traditional arrangement of still life objects. Rather, Gruskin’s compositions are free-form and imagined, expressing her overarching interest in shape and color. The artist’s hand appears quite literally in each of the works, a reminder of touch and humanity during uncertain times. The seven “Cut-Outs” exhibited also reflect the pandemic’s effect on Gruskin’s studio practice. Originally envisioned as slabs of glazed clay, these works morphed into wood sculptures cut with a band saw when the coronavirus forced the closure of local ceramics studios.

Gruskin studied art and art history at Connecticut College and received a PhD in art history from Boston University. She currently teaches painting, collage and digital drawing at the Concord Center for the Visual Arts in Concord, Massachusetts.

Jordan Kessler has the uncanny ability to see beyond the object. For example, in his ‘Batteries’ series, Kessler photographed thousands of alkaline batteries as non-recognizable entities; inviting the viewer to question the visuals presented. Through his photographic lens, he used this period of isolation to reflect on existentialism as one has to live with their own company for abnormally long time. For Kessler, isolation and solitude fueled a side of creativity that resulted in this new body of work. Works made in response to staring at oneself in the mirror while having limited access to objects yet still finding beauty in the mundane. This exhibition is a reminder that art inspires and comforts especially in challenging times.

Kessler earned a BFA in filmmaking and a MFA in photography from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, and is the co-owner of Pitch Black Editions in Concord, Massachusetts.

A virtual reception will be held via Zoom on August 1, 5 - 6pm EST and a meet the artist event at our pop-up location at 15 Central St Wellesley MA on August 8, 5 – 6pm. Please email [email protected] to RSVP for the Virtual Reception and Meet The Artist can be booked on our website.

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