Primary is proud to present Human Relations, a selection of new works by the New York-based artists Serban Ionescu and James Ulmer. This exhibit marks their first two-person exhibition with the gallery, pairing each artist's bold colors and simplified forms into one presentation.
Born in Romania and raised in New York, Serban Ionescu studied architecture at the Pratt Institute and now lives in Red Hook, Brooklyn. His archive of paintings, sculptures, design, and architecture engages a brilliant use of color. It takes a cue from a hefty, rough-hewn drawing practice that is free-form and playful. Ionescu is known to merge anthropomorphism with geometric shapes, producing soulful, somewhat mischievous artworks that explode with life and exemplify his precise eye for scale and form.
"I look at my work as pets or characters just waiting for us to interact with them. I like to think of them in that dormant state, waiting on some magic or spirit to draw us to them. I also see my work as border work. As an immigrant, I belong to two places at once. I love to think objects of function can be sculptures or sculptures can be functional, and paintings in their abstraction can be objects and vice versa. I want the work to exist on that razor-sharp line between worlds."
James Ulmer draws inspiration from a grip of contrasting sources; Children's toys, commercial illustration, graphic novels, and Western art history. Through blocks of bright colors executed in Flasche on canvas, Ulmer's keen ability to conjure the strength of the single-frame comic brings scenes from quotidian life into the viewer's foreground for deeper consideration and celebration.
"I like the way a simple drawing or painting looks—it's more direct and universal, in a way," says Ulmer. "I think of them as abstract paintings, more open to interpretation."
In the 1920s, Elton Mayo popularized the idea of the social person, encouraging organizations to treat people as individuals with individual needs, a concept in stark contrast to Taylorism, which viewed individuals as machines. In Human Relations, Ionescu and Ulmer touch on the power of the person-to-person connection, exploring self-significance, belonging, one's value, and the desire to be respected.
Opens
Saturday, October 15, 2022
5 - 9 PM
More about the Artists:
Serban Ionescu (b. 1981, Romania) Serban Ionescu’s work spans across sculpture, painting, design and architecture. With his distinctive lines which emerge from his drawing practice, vibrant use of color and cartoonish gestures, Serban infuses his works with anthropomorphic shapes and a constant intuitive play on shifting scale and form.
Serban has presented solo shows in New York at R & Company, Larrie Gallery, and in Europe with a debut exhibition in Antwerp, Belgium, at Everyday Gallery. His work has been published in New York Times, Wallpaper*, Architectural Digest, Dwell Magazine, DAMN Magazine and New York Magazine. He received his Bachelor of Architecture from Pratt Institute and he has been an adjunct professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s School Of Architecture from 2010-2016. Large scale projects like “Chapel For An Apple” and “Tower For An Hour” are his slow and safe return to architecture. His book ‘A THING ON A TABLE IN A HOUSE’ was published by Apartamento in 2021. He is currently working on several European exhibitions for the year 2023 and a book of drawings with Apartamento Publishing. Serban lives and works in Brooklyn, NY.
James Ulmer (b. 1981) James Ulmer lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. He graduated from the University of the Arts in 2005 with a degree in Illustration and Design and was awarded the Thorton Oakly Medal by the Society of Illustrators. Ulmer was a member of Philadelphia’s legendary Space 1026 Collective from 2008-2011. His recent shows include solo exhibitions at V1 Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark (2022); The Pit, Glendale, CA (2022); The Hole, New York, NY (2021); Marvin Gardens, New York, NY (2021); PmAm Gallery, London, England (2021); and JJ.Amala Gallery, Tokyo, Japan (2019). Ulmer’s work has been included in notable thematic shows including Good Pictures, Jeffrey Deitch Gallery, New York, NY (2020) and A Being in The World, Salon 94, New York, NY (2016).
More about Primary:
Primary. (Est. in 2007) is a context & research driven curatorial collective with a focus on public arts. Located in Little River, Miami, our private residence explores modern ideas on the subject of live/work, connecting new voices in contemporary art with growing audiences & collections.
For more information: info@thisisprimary.com