March 16 - April 16, 2023

Opening Reception: Saturday, March 18, 4 - 6:00 pm

As the winter season comes to a close, 440 Gallery is pleased to present DREAMING: awake and sleeping, a solo show of vibrant abstract paintings by Jo-Ann M. Acey. Inspired by the intersection of dreams and memory, Acey’s collection of new work combines bold painterly techniques with ink drawings on paper and wood. This is Acey’s fourth solo show at the gallery.

In her studio, when Acey envisions landscapes or seascapes, she turns to her memories as a type of visual diary. Her painterly abstractions develop without exact points of reference, instead she takes a brush or pen and begins to put color down on the surface, creating a spontaneous composition. Using Flashe paint, Acey layers textural brushstrokes in shapes that create her imagery—a dialog is formed between visible and concealed areas that are constantly in flux.

In the painting Sea and Sky, a large swath of blue references an imagined seascape. Recalling her times visiting east coast shorelines, Acey gives the viewer energetic suggestions of place. Using shapes and distinct lines, blocks of color accents, and raw brush marks, her compositions strike up a conversation between hints of what is specific and that which can be interpreted. Abstraction and vivid color palettes accent these dream-driven works.

Acey says, “I allow ideas to unfold as I work on each piece, where subject matter is secondary to an emotional landscape. Achieved through color and movement, I let gesture and feeling become critical elements in my work.”

Jo-Ann M. Acey received an MFA from Texas Tech University and a BFA from Daemen University. Her work is included in collections throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and Central America. She has shown at Brooklyn-based galleries including The Cluster Gallery, The Candy Factory, Site:Brooklyn and Saint Joseph's University. As an art educator, Acey was an instructor at the United Nations International School and with the innovative Studio in a School program. Her studio is located at the Brooklyn Art Cluster Studios within the Gowanus, Brooklyn art community. She has been a member of 440 Gallery since 2016.

Project Space: Processing

It begins with an idea and it is the process that gets them there. Processing, a group show of works on paper by Susan Greenstein, Janet Pedersen and K Sarrantonio, addresses the concept of how process is essential to the creative mindset. These artists use varied techniques and media to explore how materials, activities, and even memories can influence how they make their art.

Memory: Susan Greenstein’s watercolors of interiors and still lifes feature a limited palette and minimal, expressive brush strokes. A motif of patterned fabric is the thread that runs throughout and reminds us of connections between repetition and memory. Memories of the Sardine Dress is a poignant nod to a childhood recollection that Greenstein has chosen to paint in a contemporary setting. While recalling excursions to an eclectic local shop that her family nicknamed the ‘sardine store,’ Greenstein shows us a recently rediscovered dress her mother purchased there. Now hanging from a doorway in her home, she places this much-loved keepsake as the center of attention in a room defined by simple details. In contrast, she draws our focus to the bold prints on the dress by using energetic strokes that echo both the object and her feelings.

Technique: Janet Pedersen, known for her painterly plein air landscapes, has taken a different tack to the aptly titled 725 Fifth Ave Series. Using the digital illustration app Procreate instead of her usual tubes of paint and drawing supplies, Pedersen has created a set of inkjet prints that portray a sense of place. Researching ‘725 Fifth Ave’ on Google Street View, she discovered images of towns across the U.S. that shared the same address but had their own unique looks. By digitally manipulating the images, she could continue to use the overlapping shapes, colors and mark making that she’s always been familiar with. Pedersen’s end result is a fascinating set of visuals that are landscapes in a traditional sense, with a nod to new media processes.

Everyday Activities: K Sarrantonio gives us insight into their daily life through this collection of hand-printed screenprints of household objects. Sarrantonio explains, “With these images from the interior of the home, I am thinking about relationships. Specifically, I am examining relationships of family members to one another, to gender, to housework, to living in a queer family.” Process is indeed intrinsic to Sarrantonio’s practice. It is evident in their attention to detail, the tenderness in which the laundry is folded, shoes are paired up, and shirts are hung casually on hangers. These small-edition prints on paper are photo-based images that have been meticulously produced using a CMYK halftone printing process.