Portraits at an Exhibition opens on November 6th.

On View from November 6 through December 6, 2014 at Gallery 151. 132 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011.

Gallery 151 is pleased to announce an exhibition of new paintings by John Platt. Although this is the artist’s third show with the gallery, it is the first to be devoted exclusively to portraiture. Platt has spent the last few years building a reputation as an abstract painter and the portrait, until recently, has played a peripheral role in the artist’s output. This exhibition seeks to re-examine portraiture, both in Platt’s emerging career and in the larger context of contemporary art.  Comprised of portraits completed in the past year, this show deals largely with the themes of relationships, identity and the dialogue between outward expression and inner feeling.

It is rare to see an artist posses facility in both abstract and figurative domains. As in previous exhibits, we see Platt’s examination of symbolic systems of thought and identity: how one thing is intended, then expressed, and thereafter transformed. In the portraits the transformation occurs as the flatness of a photograph becomes a more dimensionalized visual experience of a painting. In the final canvas the process becomes lost in the emotion and movement of each portrait, as though the subject was never–and will never be–still.

Perhaps it is the artist’s experience as an abstract painter that allows him to convey the ever changing nature of the human experience.

In the artist’s words: “My way of working is highly cinematic.  I go to the sitter’s home and do a fast sequence of photographs, then I choose one–or sometimes several–to work from.  I don’t believe in ‘capturing’ someone in a portrait.  You never really do.  My work is more about motion and seeing someone in a split second.  As with all portraits, the work is about the subject’s identity, but my paintings are also about the moment they sat for me. What were they wearing? Who was texting them? The clothes, furniture and accessories all play a role in that, so no detail is ever overlooked.”

The show’s title, “Portraits At An Exhibition” is a reference to Mussorgsky’s piano suite, “Pictures at an Exhibition,” which he composed after visiting an art exhibition. Each movement of the suite follows a viewer stopping and reacting to the pieces that catch his eye evoking varying emotional responses.

 For all inquiries, please contact Edward Daniel at edward@wallplay.com.

Oracle of Space opens October 25th at Gallery 151.

On View from October 25 through November 1, 2014 at Gallery 151. 132 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011.

Please contact Edward Daniel at edward@wallplay.com for all inquiries.

Now, at the age of seven, Aelita Andre is returning to Chelsea New York for her fourth New York solo show at Gallery 151, launching her captivating “sound-paintings” exhibition – a new collection of violin on canvas works and paintings. Thematically her  new exhibition  explores and embodies her passion for all things related to the cosmos – the orbit of the planets, stars and galaxies and our place in the universe.

Central to the new exhibition and being unveiled for the first time is Aelita’s first ever sculpture – a metallic chrome unicorn, created when she was just six years old, naming it, “Space Oracle”, specifically proclaiming Manhattan with its skyline of spires as the ‘city of unicorns’.  For Aelita Andre the unicorn is the heart of her new body of work and for her a powerful mystical interface between the twin realms of the cosmos and humanity as the ethereal interlocutor.

Aelita takes the violin bow and, drawing it across the painted violin strings, coaxes eerily beautiful otherworldly music from the utterly transfigured baroque instruments, transforming the exhibition space into outer-space, inventing the term, “playing a painting”. The works themselves are ‘musical’ – the exuberant colours; harmonies of rhythm; the splashes of paint a crescendo –  all conspire to create a portal  into the artist’s universe of swirls and splashes, glitter and globules. The beauty and audacity of the works is uplifting and awe-inspiring.

For Aelita her processed violins become her expression of the voice of planets, stars and the universe. She shuns all conventional uses of the violin instead exposing the soul of the instrument’s inner voice. Aelita Andre then asks onlookers at the exhibition to actively participate by playing the violin and finding their own voice. More than any other instrument the violin ‘sings’ in the most ethereal unearthly way.

Following a sell out show in New York and highly successful exhibitions in Hong Kong, London, Italy and Australia, Aelita Andre has garnered international press and established a significant and passionate global collector base. Recognised around the world as a prolific artist and an authentic voice of abstract art, Aelita Andre expands the boundaries of contemporary abstraction –  an astonishing achievement for any artist but made all the more incredible by virtue of the age of the artist – a child.

On View from October 17 through October 23, 2014 at Gallery 151. 132 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011.

Gallery 151 is pleased to announce an exhibition of paintings and drawings done by kids living at the Rift Valley Children’s Village in northern Tanzania.  Founded by India Howell in 2004, the Village is a permanent home to over a hundred orphaned or at-risk children.  In the Summer of 2014 New York based artist John Platt spent 6 weeks at the village as a volunteer art teacher, working with children from the ages of 3 to 18.  The pieces presented in this show are their work; ranging in subject-matter from the animals of the Serengeti to abstractions the likes of Jackson Pollock and Cy Twombly. Each piece bears the unmistakable mark of the personality behind it, bringing with it the joy, surprise, and warmth of these extraordinary kids. All proceeds from the show will go to the Tanzanian Children’s Fund.

Nestled among the rolling coffee plantations in the Karatu region of northern Tanzania, the Rift Valley Children’s Village (RVCV) is an oasis of laughter and joy.  The staff works with local village leaders to identify the children in the surrounding community most in need of the safe haven RVCV can provide.  These children often suffer from malnutrition, weakened immune systems and emotional scars when they arrive, but almost immediately the healing process begins.  Organized around a family model, the children live together in houses of twelve, with three Tanzanian “house mothers”, one student teacher, and two international volunteers.

John Platt arrived at the village on June 5th 2014, the first day of the kids’ summer vacation from their usual classes at Gyetighi Primary School.  This timing allowed for up to three art classes a day, often with different age groups, and a staggering output of work. According to Platt, “The kids were enormously welcoming, playful and loving.  Stealing the show was Dickson, age 7, who grabbed a 60-pound bag full of art supplies and insisted on carrying it all by himself to our house.  When we got there more than 10 kids greeted me – their new volunteer – and proceeded to tear through my luggage asking excitedly ‘what is it?!?!’ for each new item they grabbed. Apparently the word got out that I was doing art while there because most of them came up to me asking ‘Are you John?  Can we paint?’ ”

On View from September 18 through October 15, 2014 at Gallery 151. 132 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011.

Featuring: Alice Couttoupes, Luca Chiriani, David Gamble, Ron Galella, Michael Namer, Emma Stern, Carrie Elston Tunick & Natalie White

Witness Above Ground is a group exhibition that explores notions of voyeurism and what it means to watch as well as to be watched. Each of the artists presented play with the role of artist, which at times is best understood as that of the voyeur, the silent people-watchers capturing and portraying what they observe.  While several artists deal with the cult of celebrity and their never ending spotlights, others in this exhibition will explore the experience of being seen, to have one’s vision obscured, and what it means to see without permission.

Curated by Laura O’Reilly, Edward Daniel & Emerald Fitzgerald

Gallery 151 & Global Brigades Present:

Global Brigades: World Campus

On View from September 4 through September 13, 2014 at Gallery 151. 132 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011.

Featuring: Luke Namer

Curated by: Michael Namer, founder of Gallery 151 & Laura O’Reilly of Wallplay

Gallery 151 presents the photojournalism of Filmmaker and Global Brigades Creative Manager, Luke Namer. During his time working in Ghana, Honduras and Panama, Namer was exposed to the powerful communal spirit of rural inhabitants in each respective country. With the support of Gallery 151, Namer showcases a selection ofphotographs from his journey that highlight the diversity and richness of each unique community.

Gallery 151 invites viewers to take part in the Global Brigades mission, to initiate a discourse,  and finally, to raise awareness about the non-profit’s role in supporting these international communities.

About Gallery 151: The mission of Gallery 151 is to support emerging New York-based artists and provide a platform for their talent to be recognized by the public. Gallery 151 is the original premier pop-up gallery in New York City, now permanently located in Chelsea on West 18th Street. The first show at Gallery 151 was hosted by Fab 5 Freddy in December of 2007. This exhibit unveiled a collaborative wall of graffiti discovered during the renovation of 151 Wooster by Michael Namer, downtown developer and owner of the building at the time. One of the former residents of the building was Edit DeAK, who in the late 70′s and early 80′s allowed young artists to “tag” a wall in her loft – some of these “young artists” were Jean-Michel Basquiat, Fab 5 Freddy, Francesco Clemente, Futura 2000, Ero, Nesto, Koor and Johnny Dynell (among others). This graffiti wall was preserved over decades and finally uncovered during construction. Michael Namer immediately recognized the significance of this “holy grail” of graffiti and founded Gallery 151 so that the “151 Wild Style Wall” could be viewed along-side other works by artists of the same period (such as Keith Haring, Kenny Scharf, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Ero, and Koor). The success and popularity of the exhibit led to subsequent requests for exhibits by other artists, and the momentum from the first show in 2007 has continued through the present day. Gallery 151 is made possible by the generous sponsorship of Namer’s company ALFA Development and current building development project Village Green West. www.gallery151.com #gallery151 @gallery151 www.245w14.com

About Wallplay: Wallplay is a hybrid global art exhibition platform and creative agency. Founded in 2013 by curator Laura O’Reilly, Wallplay breaks down walls between creative industries by providing physical and virtual space for exhibitions to launch, evolve and travel.  Wallplay is lead by a team of transmedia storytellers who activate, document and curate art campaigns and experiences that don’t fit into a box. www.wallplay.com #wallplay @wallplayground

Gallery 151 & Wallplay Present

Inseparable: The Soundwall Experience

On View from July 16 through September 1, 2014 at Gallery 151. 132 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011.

Featuring: Ricky Aiello, Joseph Arthur and Spencer Tunick, Mia Berg, Jordan Doner, Walker Fee, Fab 5 Freddy, Elliot Goldstein, Justin Jay, Matt Jones, Derek Reist, Carrie Mae Rose, Allan Tannenbaum (courtesy of Rock Paper Photo) and Jay West

Curated by: Michael Namer, founder of Gallery 151 & Laura O’Reilly of Wallplay

Artist Talk Series: 6:30-9pm
August 12th – Matt Jones, Mia Berg & Bradley Theodore. Featuring live music from DJ Niko
August 14th – Elliot Goldstein, Derek Reist, & Rickey Aiello Jr. Featuring live music from DJ Mr. Klean
August 19th – Justin Jay & Allen Tannenbaum, with music from special guest DJ.
August 28th – Carrie Mae Rose with live music by BC Kingdom, courtesy of Saint Heron records.

Gallery 151 is pleased to announce Inseparable: The Soundwall Experience, a summer group exhibition in partnership with Soundwall that reaffirms music and visual art as inseparable forms of expression. Soundwall is customized, hand-crafted, framed artwork that hangs on the wall and plays music wirelessly. Using the Soundwall technology as a channel to explore the bond between sound and sight, each artist was asked to curate a song paired to their visual work.

Fred Brathwaite, also known as Fab 5 Freddy, has created an original piece for Gallery 151’s Inseparable exhibition. His vibrant, high energy “remixed” compositions have been exhibited around the world. In Fab 5 Freddy’s own words, “My abstract remix paintings were consciously conceived with a clear nod to the creative process that led to the development and creation of recorded hip hop music, which also is key in the development of the musical concept of the remix.”

Painter and musician Joseph Arthur and photographer Spencer Tunick are collaborating on a work which draws from a series they debuted last summer in La Cieneguita, Mexico. Arthur will paint on one of Tunick’s photographs of 15 women who posed nude on a rooftop in Redhook, Brooklyn. With Arthur’s music playing from the print, the Soundwall technology allows the collaboration to come even further to life as an audio-visual project. Following the acclaim for his new album Lou, Arthur’s song selection is highly anticipated. Rolling Stone calls the acoustic album “a moving tribute to Lou Reed.”

Painters in the exhibition Matt Jones, Jay West, Walker Fee, Ricky Aiello, Derek Reist and Bradley Theodore were asked to choose a song that inspired their work or played a part in the artistic process. The resulting works range from the figurative to abstract. Photographers Justin Jay, Mia Berg, Elliot Goldstein, Jordan Doner and Allan Tannenbaum paired songs to their prints, providing a voice to their images. The photographic prints take on new life with audio pulsing through them. Carrie Mae Rose contributed a digital design that reprises her exploration of the tetrahedron, which she first incorporated into her 3D-printed wearable “Wings” series that first debuted at Eyebeam.

Beginning July 16th, each piece of art will be featured on the capsule site experience.soundwall.co. As you scroll over each artwork, the song that the artist curated for his or her piece will play, creating a hybrid virtual Soundwall experience. The private opening reception will take place July 16th and will be open to the public until September 1st 11am-6pm at Gallery 151 in Chelsea.

Inseparable: The Soundwall Experience is a hybrid art, music & tech series featuring artist collaborations, exhibitions and events that seamlessly integrate art and music like never before. For more information visit: www.experience.soundwall.co.

About Gallery 151: The mission of Gallery 151 is to support emerging New York-based artists and provide a platform for their talent to be recognized by the public. Gallery 151 is the original premier pop-up gallery in New York City, now permanently located in Chelsea on West 18th Street. The first show at Gallery 151 was hosted by Fab 5 Freddy in December of 2007. This exhibit unveiled a collaborative wall of graffiti discovered during the renovation of 151 Wooster by Michael Namer, downtown developer and owner of the building at the time. One of the former residents of the building was Edit DeAK, who in the late 70′s and early 80′s allowed young artists to “tag” a wall in her loft – some of these “young artists” were Jean-Michel Basquiat, Fab 5 Freddy, Francesco Clemente, Futura 2000, Ero, Nesto, Koor and Johnny Dynell (among others). This graffiti wall was preserved over decades and finally uncovered during construction. Michael Namer immediately recognized the significance of this “holy grail” of graffiti and founded Gallery 151 so that the “151 Wild Style Wall” could be viewed along-side other works by artists of the same period (such as Keith Haring, Kenny Scharf, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Ero, and Koor). The success and popularity of the exhibit led to subsequent requests for exhibits by other artists, and the momentum from the first show in 2007 has continued through the present day. Gallery 151 is made possible by the generous sponsorship of Namer’s company ALFA Development and current building development project Village Green West. www.gallery151.com #gallery151 @gallery151 www.245w14.com

About Wallplay: Wallplay is a hybrid global art exhibition platform and creative agency. Founded in 2013 by curator Laura O’Reilly, Wallplay breaks down walls between creative industries by providing physical and virtual space for exhibitions to launch, evolve and travel.  Wallplay is lead by a team of transmedia storytellers who activate, document and curate art campaigns and experiences that don’t fit into a box. www.wallplay.com #wallplay @wallplayground

ABOUT SOUNDWALL: SIMPLE. BEAUTIFUL. SOUND. SIMPLE TO USE Soundwall is simple to use. Just play music on your iPhone or iTunes and your Soundwall shows up under Airplay devices. Select your Soundwall for beautiful sound. You can also connect your Soundwall to another sound system like the Sonos. Android phones work too! BEAUTIFUL ARTWORK Soundwall is a custom-built art piece to hang on your wall. You commission your Soundwall with any image — a work of art, pictures of your kids, or a view of the San Francisco Bay. Choose your image and we’ll deliver your beautiful Soundwall. HI-FIDELITY SOUND Our technology combines a distributed mode speaker, advanced digital amplification and a versatile computer called the Raspberry Pi. The picture is the speaker, so the larger the Soundwall, the bigger the sound! Every Soundwall is handcrafted and individually tested in our Boulder, Colorado studio to ensure the highest quality. For more information on Soundwall and a complete list of artists visit experience.soundwall.co.

Lina Viktor: Arcadia

On View from May 22 through July 10, 2014 at Gallery 151. 132 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011.

Curated by Laura O’Reilly

Lina Viktor’s debut solo exhibition ARCADIA creates an immersive visual experience inviting us into her golden world, an idyllic paradise of visual harmony expressed through universal truths encompassed by the golden ratio. The Greeks believed there were three key ingredients to beauty: symmetry, proportion, and harmony. This triad of principles is at the core of Viktor’s paintings. The Greeks were attuned to beauty as an object of love, emulating and reproducing this beauty in their lives, education (Paideia), architecture, and politics. Viktor seeks to modernize these concepts through neoclassical design. Her production studio integrates the labor intensive ancient technique of hand gilding 24-karat gold with digital technology utilized to map out her underlying compositions. Exhibiting 10 new paintings with beautiful ornate frames, Viktor fully transforms Gallery 151 with a floor and window installation that truly takes us into her self-made ARCADIA.

In ARCADIA Viktor explores concepts of infinity and universal principles, inviting us to strive for greatness by creating our own concept of what it means to live in a golden age. The symmetry of our solar system and the golden ratio found in nature inspires Viktor’s work. Continually searching for knowledge of the universe and its composition, Viktor questions our place in the cosmos and imagines possible theories through her work.

Her bold paintings are composed of original black, white and gold patterns that achieve astonishing vibrancy, creating an instantly recognizable signature style. In ARCADIA Viktor introduces a regal blue into 6 of her 10 new works. The rich color encompasses the boundless nature of the sky and ocean, provoking a striking emotional response. Viktor’s work is infused with divine geometry, ancient Greek symbols, and Baroque tracery, balancing a masterful decadence that draws us into her visual utopia. Sometimes incorporating photographic source material, Viktor’s complex works are printed, painted by hand, then gilded with 24-karat gold directly onto the canvas, amplifying the ornate sensibility that informs the framework of her powerful images.

One of the most striking elements of Viktor’s paintings is her use of 24-karat gold. Most of the Earth’s gold lies at its core, the metal’s high density having made it sink there in our planet’s youth. Virtually all gold discovered is considered to have been deposited by meteorites that contained the element. In essence Viktor is painting with metal from fallen stars. In the future Viktor’s color systems may change, but the use of gold will always be a constant in her work. What interests her most about gold is its scarcity and the emotional response that real gold evokes. Beyond symbolizing opulence and wealth it manifests a feeling of refinement that is often lost in today’s disposable culture.

Viktor unlocks the potential energy in each of her paintings by experimenting until she finds the right combination of shapes, color and divine proportion to create a balance and harmony that uplifts viewers. She plays with the symbiosis of negative and positive space, approaching her work like solving a puzzle. By listening to her higher self, the part of all of us that is connected to universal truth, the work creates Viktor as much as she creates the work.

Each of her paintings are an individual universe, a visual portal into a world with noble notions of what life could be if we each underwent our own personal renaissance and believed in abundance instead of insufficiency.  Not everyone can afford one of Viktor’s works, which are currently priced between ten and seventy thousand dollars apiece, though her visual practice is meant to be accessible to everyone through her curated presence on social media platforms like Instagram. She invites the public into her visual world, calling on viewers to dream of what their version of ARCADIA would be.

Lina Viktor is a New York-based fine artist from London that studied film at Sarah Lawrence College and photography at The School of Visual Arts. In creating her own mythology as a painter combining modern and ancient techniques, Viktor in a short period of time has amassed a strong and dedicated following. Lina Viktor has exhibited her paintings alongside works by Andy Warhol, Takashi Murakami, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Tom Sachs, Ryan McGinley, & Peter Beard at a variety of exhibitions in New York and Miami Art Basel.

Reception: March 13th, 6-9PM

On View from March 7 through March 13, 2014 at Gallery 151. 132 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011.

Featuring: Kenny Scharf, Shepard Fairey, Swoon, Maya Hayuk, Metro Zu, Lichiban, Tony Concep, Trey Speegle, Damon Johnson, Smurfo, MENT, VESA and Damien Mitchell, as well as their specially designed WAT-AAH! bottles.

WAT-AAH!’s Taking Back the Streets continues to make water cool through its mission to connect street art with children’s health to inspire kids to think creatively and actively about their health. The media is spreading the word that WAT-AAH! who, with its Taking Back the Streets initiative, has generated a new excitement and enthusiasm around drinking water.

WAT-AAH!’s Taking Back the Streets, in support of Partnership for Healthier America’s Drink Up initiative, kicked off on February 20, 2014 with a special appearance from First Lady Michelle Obama at NYC’s New Museum. Her appearance created a great deal of interest, garnering attention from media outlets such as Complex Magazine, Wall Street Journal, ABC News and NYC’s top tastemakers and influencers. All of this excitement and demand to see what all of the buzz is about led to a pop up exhibition at lower east side’s Wallplay and now WAT-AAH! is proud to announce that its Taking Back the Streets exhibit will continue on at Gallery 151 in the Chelsea art district just in time for 2014’s Armory Week.

“We are honored to host WAT-AAH!’s Taking Back the Streets exhibit in support of the First Lady’s Drink Up initiative. Gallery 151 was founded with the mission of helping promote emerging artists through exhibitions that highlight social and environmental issues,” says Michael Namer, Founder of Gallery 151 & Alfa Development. “We are thrilled to help this amazing exhibition evolve and be viewed by even more people, especially kids!” he adds.

At Gallery 151, WAT-AAH! and the artists will continue to invite kids and young teens for art workshops, special viewings and all the while continuing to promote the importance of drinking more water, more often.

WAT-AAH! – a line of functional bottled water targeted to kids and teens – was founded in 2008 by Rose Cameron who was alarmed by the fact that today’s generation of kids are predicted to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents largely due to childhood obesity. Cameron, further inspired and challenged by her two sons who identified water to be “boring”, set to create WAT-AAH! with its screaming boy logo coupled with a mission “to be the first brand to make water relevant and cool to kids.” Since its launch 6 years ago, WAT-AAH! has been successful in the marketplace and has been identified as “one of the fastest growing brands” in the beverage industry, ranking among the top 10 in its category and many kids have dubbed it as “the coolest water ever.” WAT-AAH! continues to reach millions of kids and teens through schools and many other forms of distribution. To learn more, visit www.wat-aah.com

Gallery 151‘s mission is to support emerging New York-based artists and provide a platform for their talent to be recognized by the public. In 2009, Gallery 151 expanded its vernacular to include issues of sustainability and environmental responsibility.  As a “green” building developer, the owner of Gallery 151, Michael Namer seeks the highest level of energy, resource, and materials efficiency in every project his company develops – whether it is residential, commercial, or hospitality. Through Michael Namer’s generous support and sponsorship of Gallery 151, he has been able to expose the public to important environmental issues through exhibitions and the voices of talented artists. www.gallery151.com

Wallplay is a global art exhibition platform built to activate and document art campaigns and collaborations that don’t fit into a box. Founded in 2013 by curator Laura O’Reilly, Wallplay breaks down walls between creative industries by providing physical and virtual space for exhibitions to launch, evolve and travel. www.wallplay.com  #wallplay

On View from November 22 through December 24, 2013 at Gallery 151. 132 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011.

Starting November 22nd, Rock Paper Photo, the carefully-curated online photography gallery with an extensive inventory of rare and iconic images, will launch its 2013 Holiday Shop at Gallery 151 through December 24th.

The shop will feature previously unavailable photography of cultural legends ranging from musicians, films, authors and artists, including never-before-seen portraits of The Beatles and Andy Warhol. Available for sale will be never released candid’s of the Fab Four on set of “Help,” while filming in the Bahamas, shot by noted photojournalist Henry Grossman.  Hand-signed, museum quality limited edition prints start at $250. All work on display is available for purchase at the gallery and is the perfect holiday gift for not just collectors, but for fans of icons throughout generations.

Throughout the duration of the pop-up shop, Rock Paper Photo will host events, such as the release of the Miles Davis book launch party, Miles Davis: The collected Artwork. In addition, there will also be photographer appearances, listening parties, release of additional unseen work and other special events announced via social media.

Gallery 151
132 W. 18^th Street (between 6^th and 7^th Aves).
Hours: 11am to 6pm Tuesday through Saturday.
Admission is free and open to the public.

For additional information regarding Rock Paper Photo please contact:
Stefanie Skinner: Stefanie@Stuntmanpr.com | 212.242.0002

For Information and Inquiries regarding Gallery 151 contact:
gallery151@thecityfirm.com