Underdonk

press release

Curated by Priscilla Fusco
February 25 – March 26
Opening reception February 25 from 6-8 PM
Soft Closing March 26 from 1-6 PM

Underdonk is pleased to present Hoverpool, a group of unique cast bronzes by Jennifer Macdonald. Inspired by mineral spas, lap pools, lakes, and other bodies of water that draw us into reflective contemplation, Macdonald’s bronzes are a community of houseboats, bathers, and divers as well as structures of pool houses, rafts, aqueducts and reservoirs. The result is a fleet of distinctive objects and characters, thrust into engagement with one another.

Using the lost-wax method, Macdonald’s forms are built from textured wax and wax-coated materials – recycled Styrofoam, cardboard, floor mats, chair caning– that are cast into metal. The unique casts are then hand-worked, cut and welded into new assemblages. Macdonald hand-paints or chemically patinas her work, finishing each with a meticulous polish.

These objects create a playful investigation of repose, with ominous and humorous undercurrents. A piece titled “Ghiottone D’Azur”, made from Circo’s cardboard pastry boxes dipped in wax then folded into a geometric body, embodies the Italian word “ghiottone”, meaning both a glutton and a wolverine. Unlike the predator, the figure’s blue face gazes down, reflectively, exhibiting what Macdonald calls a “sweet pathos” – a phrase inspired by her favorite scene in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), when the masked and aproned Leatherface looks out through a doorway at a sunset in a moment of repose and reflection.

Another work, “Hoverbank” seemingly conjures a more literal idea of rest and contemplation: a cool, blue infinity pool, built into an angular architectural model, suspended a few inches off the ground on a grid-like frame. The form suggests a train car, a treasure chest and impersonal vault façade where a James Bond villain might reside, all at once (the artist is a fan of heist movies). Appropriately, as with any villain’s hideout, Macdonald’s sculptures aren’t easily revealed to the viewer. They reward inspection from multiple angles.

Jennifer Macdonald lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. Born in Great Barrington, MA, Macdonald received an MFA from Hunter College, BFA from University of Pennsylvania, Certificate in Sculpture from Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and attended Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. Macdonald’s studio practice spans sculpture, handmade animation, and painting. Her work has been exhibited at Sala Projects, NYC; The Drawing Center, NYC; Film Anthology Archives, NYC. Macdonald has received fellowships from the Jacob K. Javits Foundation and Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.

Priscilla Fusco is a multimedia artist working with ceramics, wood, and found objects. Her work is inspired by natural phenomena and the way pieces fit together. She keeps it simple! Based in Brooklyn, Fusco has shown at spaces such as Norte Maar, CRETA Roma, Tappeto Volante, and Proto Gomez. She fundraises for the Xerces Society of Invertebrates by selling conceptual advent calendars. She holds a BA in English from Barnard College and an MFA from Hunter University.

Installation images photographed by Alexander Perrelli

Underdonk

1329 Willoughby Ave #211

Brooklyn, NY 11237

L train to Jefferson St

Hours: Open Saturdays and Sundays 1-6 PM

[email protected]

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