STUDIO STORIES: NEW WORKS BY LAURA LOVING AND MARY KLEIN May 12-22, Anthem Gallery Opening Reception Thursday, May 12, 6-9 pm 2005

Studio Stories - Laura Loving and Mary Klein @ Anthem Gallery NYC

By Jennifer Zawadzinski

New York – Laura Loving and Mary Klein will present new work at the Anthem Gallery in Soho from May 12-22. The opening reception will take place on Thursday, May 12 from 6-9 pm. The show will feature paintings, video, and collage pieces by each of the two artists.

“Studio Stories” marks the first in a series of exhibits exploring the works of Laura Loving and Mary Klein. While there are many complementary elements in the two artists’ work, storytelling is what Loving and Klein believe to be their strongest connection. Loving and Klein aim to create an inviting atmosphere where the viewer feels welcome and engaged. A five minute silent video will take the viewer on a trip through the artists’ studio and creative process.

Klein, who is from Nashville and now lives in Brooklyn, has been called “a sophisticated self-taught artist” by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Of her “mysterious pears,” a signature image for Klein, the paper says: “people are fascinated by the paradoxes of their stolid whimsy.” Klein says of her art, “My work is an outward expression of my inner space, an admittedly very personal view of my experiences and interaction with the world around me.” She uses salvaged materials like old moldings, window sashes and ceiling tin to build her frames. “I feel a great sense of urgency to pick up cast-off things around me and to create a more permanent expression of their passing energy.”

Loving, originally from Atlanta, and living in New York City for years, describes her work: “I take everyday images and recreate them into my own animated version of the world. I consider my art to be an invention of reality rather than purely an exact imitation. I exaggerate color and shape to create art that is humorous, alive and uplifting. Without question, I consider making a connection with someone through a painting the best part of being an artist.” Painting with oil enamel on canvas, Loving has developed a distinctive style consisting of bold lines, dramatic surface patterns and pure color that result in vibrant paintings with a certain poetic energy.

Both artists have been exhibited in solo and group shows throughout the U.S. In New York, Loving’s work has been shown at Lincoln Center’s Cork Gallery, Pratt Institute, Weill Cornell Medical Library, and Taller Boricua Galleries. She has also shown with The Wonderwall Gallery in Cirencester, England and Chaleurs du Sud in Nice, France where the artist lived for several years. Loving was commissioned to create an outdoor mural in Centennial Olympic Park and the official serigraph for The 1998 Music Midtown Festival of Atlanta. She has just recently received a commission from Jazz at Lincoln Center to create the official image for a concert series this fall.

Klein’s art hangs in homes, businesses and galleries throughout the world. Her work has been shown at Pratt Institute and The Outsider Art Show in New York and has been featured in galleries in Atlanta, Austin, Greenwich, Miami, Nashville and Washington, DC to name a few. The House of Blues, with locations across the country, purchased over 100 pieces of Klein’s work which are now on display as a part of their permanent collection. Celebrities such as Jim Belushi have commissioned her work.

For more information on the artists, contact: Anthem Gallery, NYC 212-580-0856 or visit: www.marykleinart.com or www.LauraLoving.com .