(Upper East Side, NYC) Garvey|Simon is pleased to present the two-person exhibition Julien Gardair / Melanie Vote: Concurrence, opening on Thursday, October 5 at DFN Projects, 16 East 79th Street, New York, NY. The exhibition will offer an intimate exploration of works by both artists, who beyond their individual artistic pursuits, share a bond as a married couple. 

The meeting of different artistic visions reveals connections in creativity, and this exhibition uncovers these unexpected harmonies, exposing a silent dialogue between the two artists’ works.  Although Gardair and Vote live together, their studios are in different locations and have distinctly diverse artistic practices.

Julien Gardair’s recent paintings reveal his innovative approach to art.  Drawing inspiration from the Supports/Surfaces movement in France and the Pattern/Decoration movement in the United States, Gardair’s art is a fusion of materiality and pattern, along with the structural constraints of Minimalism. These multi-faceted pieces are a synthesis of vibrant paintings and textile works and are created by employing techniques like folding, cutting, and stitching. His work challenges the viewer’s perception of materiality. His sustainable approach ensures that no parts of the paintings are discarded, nodding to the global potential of restoration and upcycling.

Melanie Vote embarks on a visual exploration of impermanence, emphasizing the ever-changing nature of existence and inviting her viewers to be transported into her forest experiences.  Vote’s deep connection with trees is palpable and invites reflection on our relationship with the natural world.  Raised on a farm in Iowa and now a long-time resident of New York City, her paintings delve into the intricate relationship between humans and the land, linking her formative and present influences in nature.  Each of Vote’s intimately sized paintings in this exhibition begins en plein air and the artist later weaves subtle narration to the work in the studio.

EXPLORE THE VIRTUAL EXHIBITION 

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Melanie Vote (b. 1973, Iowa) received her BFA from Iowa State University and her MFA in Painting from New York Academy of Art in 1998.  Her work has been exhibited both nationally and internationally. Vote was a recipient of a Pollock‐Krasner Foundation Grant in 2007 and has been awarded many residencies including The Vermont Studio Center, Jentel in Banner, WY, AHAD in Abu Dhabi, UAE, The Grand Canyon Conservancy, The Weir Farm program in CT, and most recently, Cill Rialaig in County Kerry, Ireland (along with artist-partner Julien Gardair).  She has been a visiting artist at numerous schools and has also taught at New York Academy of Art, New Jersey City University, The New School, and Pratt Institute.

Julien Gardair (b. 1976 Versailles, France) is a French multi-media artist, based in New York since 2007.  He holds an MFA from the École Nationale Supérieure d’Arts de Paris Cergy and his work has been shown throughout Europe and the United States.  Notably, he was included in La couleur toujours recommencée, the first exhibition of the re-vamped Musée Fabre in Montpellier along with Joan Mitchell, Sam Francis, Shirley Jaffe, Peter Soriano and others.  He has had solo exhibitions at Galerie Jean Fournier, Paris, Musée d’Art Moderne de Céret and Bric Arts, Brooklyn.  He was commissioned by the New York MTA Arts & Design to create a permanent installation for the 18th Avenue and Kings Highway stations in Brooklyn. He was also commissioned by the Mobilier National to design a Savonnerie carpet that is on display at the Elysée Palace.