On View from May 18 through June 28, 2012 at Gallery 151. 132 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011.

SLOW FOOD/FAST FOOD: “EAT WHAT YOU ARE” is a dynamic and captivating art exhibit that contextualizes the last 500 years of humanity’s relationship with food by juxtaposing still life art works of old world masters created in the 16th and 17th centuries with the contemporary work of artists today. What we find within this six-week-long exhibition is an introspective opportunity for the audience to reflect upon how our relationship with food has changed over time; a story told by the still life images created over the course of that relationship.

Artists Alia Diaz, John Grande, Marco Kalach, Alexander Kaletski, Tracy Miller, and Jonathan Stein and others yet to be announced will have works on display that will address Anthelme Brillat-Savirin’ poignant statement “Tell me what you eat and I’ll tell you what you are.” Each artist contributes their own unique interpretation of the present day citizen’s relationship with food: these interpretations range from outright criticism to curious endearment and are each an honest reflection of “what we are.”

“SLOW FOOD/FAST FOOD: “EAT WHAT YOU ARE” explores society’s significant transition in the perception of food over the past 500 years, starting in the 16th century when food was meant to sustain, and ending in the present day when convenience is paramount and frozen, pre-packaged meals replace fresh produce sections at the grocery store,” says Michael Namer, owner and founder of Gallery 151, and Founder and CEO of Alfa Development. “Gallery 151’s purpose is to feature emerging contemporary artists in New York and bring them to the forefront of the art world. With this exhibition, we examine a cultural paradigm shift through the work of these provocative artists. We will feature still life paintings of by old world masters when food was revered and placed on a pedestal, alongside more modern artwork depicting a world of mass brands and fast foods.”

In honor of this exhibition, Gallery 151 has partnered with Slow Food NYC, a non-profit, member-supported organization founded in 1989 to counteract the culture of fast food. Slow Food NYC works to create and support a food system based on the principles of high quality and taste, environmental sustainability, and social justice. Slow Food stands against the disappearance of local food traditions and people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world.

SLOW FOOD/FAST FOOD: “EAT WHAT YOU ARE” will showcase paintings, mixed media, photography, and sculpture. The exhibition will be open to the public from May 17 to June 28, 2012.

On View from March 1 through March 30, 2012 at Gallery 151. 132 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011.

Beginning March 1st, Gallery 151 is honored to present an exhibition of the work of artist MIA BERG.  The young, dynamic artist exhibits large scale photographs in which her natural abandon in the solitude of the landscape is the focus.  Enacting a physical conversation with nature, she incorporates her body into her compositions as an extension of her environment, invoking a dialogue on human coexistence with the natural world.

Special thanks to Spencer Tunick for lending his documentary photography of Mia Berg’s process, and DUGGAL VISUAL SOLUTIONS for co-sponsoring a portion of the  printing production

All exhibitions and programs at Gallery 151 would not be possible without the generous support and sponsorship of Michael Namer and his company Alfa Development, Chelsea Green, First West 21st Street LLC.

On View from February 9 through February 25, 2012 at Gallery 151. 132 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011.

Some of Joseph’s clients include Julian Schnabel, Lenny Kravitz, Sting, Trump and the Ritz Carleton. While Joseph has been published by The New York Times, Elle Décor and Architectural Digest, his latest publication, “New York City At Night” (published by Thunder Bay Press) is by far his most extraordinary; a page turning book full of breathtaking views of New York City. Joseph captures patches of the city from above (usually by helicopter), eloquently framing familiar sites, buildings and streets below; glorifying the grid-like patterns. The large-scale prints featured in the exhibit will be selections from this publication.

Evan Joseph brings a new twist to photography, certainly at times referencing both the abstract and graphic paintings that would either be found in Cubism or be mixed in the mechanical aspect of Dadaism. The artist fully captures the grandiosity of New York City through his unique point of view and brings these images to a scale in which the viewer’s eyes get lost in both the beauty of the photograph and the wonder of how he managed to capture the image at all.

On View from January 12 through February 1, 2012 at Gallery 151. 132 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011.

GALLERY 151 presents a retrospective of Dominique Philbert AKA “ERO” (Ever Rocking On), one of the youngest of a pioneering group of artists in the New York City graffiti movement of the 1980’s. When ERO died on July 7th 2011 at the age of 43, it was a significant loss to New York City’s art community. Throughout his life, ERO’s work was included as part of exhibits at Patti Astor’s Fun Gallery, the famous ‘Five-Man Show’ which in 1983 toured Japan (other artists included were  Fab 5 Freddy, Zephyr, Futura 2000, and Dondi White), and numerous other exhibits across the world. Most recently, ERO‘s work was displayed at GALLERY 151 in three separate exhibits: in 2007 alongside Fab 5 Freddy, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Kenny Scharf, and Koor as part of “The Wild Style” exhibit, in 2008 as part of a solo exhibit, and in 2009 alongside L.A.2 and SHARP in the “Green Style” exhibit.

ERO’s significance as an artist cannot be measured as the history of Graffiti and Street Art is still being written. This retrospective at GALLERY 151 will celebrate ERO’s bold use of color and classic “tag format” canvases as an exceptional and impressive body of work from an artist that we will dearly miss. Special works will be presented by the family and private collectors.

The exhibitions and events at GALLERY 151 would not be possible without the generous support and sponsorship of Michael Namer and his company Alfa Development, First West 21st Street LLC, Alison Eighteen, and Chelsea Green.

On View from December 1, 2011 through January 8, 2012 at Gallery 151. 132 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011.

This holiday season Gallery 151 is excited to present a group exhibition inspired by the magical surrealist character that refused to grow up, Peter Pan. This interactive exhibition honors Peter Pan, his Lost Boys, and Never Never Land by presenting a space of whimsical nature, playful scenarios, and a “hands-on” approach to the art – both its making and its viewing. Each featured artist tells a story about an overcoming, a rebirth, a coming of age, or about their own ability to mischievously beguile the audience’s perceptions. WonderLost brings the audience closer to the art that never leaves us – the part that should stay forever.

Featured Artists:

Andressa Furletti, Andrina Smith, Benjamin Kuester, Christian Little, Elizabeth Karsch, Katya Grokhovsky,John Nickle, Leat Klingman, Melanie Fischer, Mica Marder and Outspoken Bean.

Group Exhibition Curated by Molly Morgan Weiss.

On View from October 21 through November 17, 2011 at Gallery 151. 132 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011.

Gallery 151 is proud to present John Platt for his second solo exhibition at its newest location in Chelsea. This dynamic painter fuses together a world of abstract meeting realism in his latest series INTERCHANGE, creating a visual drama based on color, theme and gesture. A large part of his work is rooted in photography, fashion, architecture and film. We can look forward to Platt revealing his portraits of friends and family members, painted with an exquisitely sensitive eye, yet interchanged with his ideas on abstraction. Platt gives us a crisp sense of electricity and movement through his use of paint, something in which is both elusive and confrontational. Please join us and celebrate the latest series from a truly prolific painter, John Platt, as well as Gallery 151’s newest hotspot in Chelsea.

On View from June 8 through July 1, 2011 at Gallery 151.

Gallery 151 is honored to present the solo exhibition of Fred Brathwaite, hip hop pioneer and legendary graffiti artist known as Fab 5 Freddy. In 1980, Mr. Brathwaite gained notoriety by covering an entire subway car with Campbell’s soup cans. This homage to Andy Warhol was the creative force in helping Brathwaite lead a cultural revolution out of which graffiti-based artists transitioned from the streets into galleries and the art world. On June 8th 2011, Gallery 151 debuted the exhibition NEW YORK : NEW WORK, Brathwaite’s series of stunningly vivid mixed-media works on canvas – some figurative iconography and others an abstract exploration of his graffiti experience. Brathwaite has developed a modified pointillism technique using hand-laid crystals to explore and deepen his the viewer’s relationship with his work. This process of embellishing the form, one grain of color at a time, is also a delicate and personal celebration of his subject. Graffiti, and its new manifestation Street Art, is one of art’s most transient forms, often existing for mere days, if not hours. NEW YORK : NEW WORK is not only a celebration of Brathwaite’s newest work but also a triumphant recognition of the permanence of these works on canvas.

During this exhibition, Brathwaite was also a featured artist in MOCA’s “Art in the Streets,” the first major museum exhibition in America to depict the history of Graffiti and Street Art.

On View from May 11 through June 1, 2011 at Gallery 151.

SHAPE SHIFTING: VISUAL LABYRINTHS (MOVING PAINTING SERIES PART ONE)

Melinda Hackett’s paintings refer to organic space and unfixed time. She creates a world full of images that float, hover, creep, spin, hang, roll, and sleep in corners. Inspired by the sense of motion in Melinda’s work, curator Laura O’Reilly paired Hackett up with computer programmer Michael Mausler to create “moving paintings.” Mausler has successfully captured Melinda’s work, organically bringing her world to life through computer processing. “SHAPE SHIFTING : VISUAL LABYRINTHS” features new large scale oil paintings accompanied by one of a kind “moving paintings: displayed on screens.”

On View from April 7 through April 25, 2011 at Gallery 151.

Julie Harvey shakes up the art world once again with her first highly anticipated solo exhibition “COLOR TEMPO”. Looking through the lens of a microscope, Harvey layer by layer creates an idealized world of effervescent movement and impossible color. Intrigued by dance, Harvey’s paintings focus on the contemporary human figure and how individual gestures reflect and celebrate a person’s identity.

“COLOR TEMPO” showcases Harvey’s mature works, specifically her use of both intense photo-realism and abstract color. The abstract backgrounds create the music and emotion for each piece. Working closely with her subjects, Harvey studies their movement and freezes their unique gesture into that reminiscent of an iconic sculpture. She begins by drawing from photographic references of the model’s pose, the first of many steps in a time-consuming process toward creating an idealized world. Harvey covers and perfects every inch of her aluminum canvas using a patented process that she created. Highly patterned designs and meticulous attention to figurative detail create a space where foreground and background become one. With Harvey’s outlandish and fearless disposition, this show will be anything but ordinary.

On View from February 19 through February 27, 2011 at Gallery 151.

ANNUAL ART AUCTION

On February 19-26th, choice works from some of NYC’s leading underground artists will be on display and for sale in a week long silent auction to benefit The “Swimming Cities: Ocean of Blood” project on the Ganges river. Artists include: Swoon, Tom Beale, Duke Riley, Imminent Disaster, Orien McNeill, Ben Mortimer, Tod Seelie, Ben Wolfe, Andrew Poneros (Pork), Conrad Carlson, Monica Canilou, Tony Bones, Jeff Stark, Isaac Aden, Gregg Henderson, Doyle S. Huge, Leslie Stem, Lopi Laroe, Katelan Foisey, Iris Stvn Lasn, Petric Seelie, Zev David Deans, Elizabeth Bentley, Hannah Mishin, Orien McNeill, Ksenija, Angie Kang, Ben Devoe, Czak Tucker, Heather Jones, Noah Sparks, Porter Fox, Dan Sabau, Virginia Reath, Clair Huntington, Kara Blossom, Martina Mrongovius, Alex Casual, Catherine Yaeger, Sarah Beetson.

SWIMMING CITIES is a diverse and evolving collaboration of artists, builders, and visionaries who come together to embark on challenging large-scale projects. Originally united through the internationally acclaimed artist Swoon, the group traces its roots back to the DIY raft project on the Mississippi River, the “Miss Rockaway Armada.”

With each new waterway the project creates a vivid community of artists floating into towns to present an inspiring, interactive environment that encompasses art, sculpture, music and performance. The upcoming project will bring a fleet of sculptural rivercraft to the foothills of the Himalayas in a cultural exchange with local South Asian artists and artisans. The boats will traverse the Ganges river from Haridwar to the holy city of Varanasi.

On opening night complimentary drinks, hor d’oeuvres, and a whole lot of shaking to the rhythms of James Stache will abound. After the week long bidding process, the closing night will contain a similar mix of elements except with DJ Joro Boro spinning the tunes and a live auction for select pieces held by renowned auctioneer Dr. Adventure.