"The Battle of Carnival and Lent." A New Exhibit by Judith Schaechter

Close up. Note the Detail!

On Thursday May 23rd 2013,  "The Battle of Carnival and Lent",  the new Schaechter had its opening reception at  the Claire Oliver Gallery in New York City. This gallery is located in the Chelsea area of Midtown Manhattan and is the home of many small galleries. I was invited via Facebook and jumped at the chance to see her work in person (yes it's sad but true.). I have never been to an opening in New York before and I was thrilled to show up and bask in the radiance of fine art as craftsmanship.

exhibition by Judith
Before I continue with this write-up, I wish to make it clear that I am not an art critic but merely a social/media/critic/social worker. I have exposed myself....to art and folks who know or live as creative minds and souls. I like to write, observe and most of all take photos at impulse.
OK, lets go to the main event the opening reception of Judith Schaechter's exhibit The Battle of Carnival and Lent. The exhibit features 17 panels that were part of her

Note the Detail

exhibit at the Eastern State Penitentiary. I regretfully missed that show and I am sure it does not matter to you my dear reader. Here is Judith at Eastern State Penitentiary sharing her thoughts about her art and the space.
The Clare Oliver Gallery is a good venue for Judith's work. The set up makes the pieces the main focus of the studio. A person can not help be be drawn to the works. The largest of the works is a large window which is the title piece of the show. ":The Battle of Carnival and Lent." features the combatants" of this battle between human desires and want and the higher thoughts and aspirations that make us human in the first place. We all as fallible  confront this duality on a daily basis (OK, some of us!) The colors are striking of course coming from is to be appreciated.

this talented artisan of glass art. The thing that really took me away was the DETAIL in this piece. I personally adored the little snail in the middle of the piece. I felt a kind of kinship with the lost creature who is "alone in a crowd." I was emotionally affected by it. I am not educated in art but my firm belief  is that art that moves and provokes. How to describe her work? Lets leave that to her to profile from The University of the Arts.

Her stained glass narratives are a paradoxical assemblage of medieval depictions, mediated by contemporary tales of human failings. Hers is a demented carnival world, made claustrophobic by dizzying arrays of texture, obsessive detail and intense color.

The opening was well-attended, I met several of Judith's friends and very much enjoyed my visit. Judith was gracious and was truly appreciated that I came to visit. When I go to New York, I will make a point of bringing anyone I go with to see this work. Its in easy walking distance from Penn Station. It was a real pleasure to see work up close from an important and accomplished glass artist. She has taken stain

Ther is no need to add caption

glass to the modern era and we are fortunate to be alive to see this work as it continues to evolve.
For those not familiar with her work I would go to the Claire Oliver Website There is more details about Judith and her work. My favorite ;part was the "Press" section of the Claire Oliver Gallery. This has articles interviews and reviews dating back to.
This is a show to see and easy to like as far as I am concerned.