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PRESS RELEASE
Joseph Havel
One Dozen Veils
January 12 through February 25, 2001
Dunn and Brown Contemporary is pleased to announce an exhibition of new work by Joseph Havel and the formal opening of the Main Gallery at Dunn and Brown Contemporary. The opening of the exhibition and new space will take place on Friday, January 12 from 6pm until 8pm. The artist will be present for the opening, and the exhibition will continue through Saturday, February 25, 2001.
One Dozen Veils marks the first one-person exhibition for Havel since his inclusion in the prestigious 2000 Biennial Exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. Responding specifically the new exhibition space at Dunn and Brown Contemporary, Havel created twelve Veil drawings and two freestanding sculptures for this exhibition. The installation consists of twelve ten-foot-tall drawings evenly spaced down the main gallery wall which measures 100 feet long. With graphite and oil paint poured down the length of each surface, the tall and slender works on paper suggest the presence of hanging fabric.
As a sculptor, Havel’s interest in fabric began nearly ten years ago, and more recently, he has turned his attention to the use of large pieces of fabric such as curtains, drapes, and tablecloths. Influence by the use of drapery throughout the history of art, especially in Renaissance and Baroque art, and also by the modern day associations of the material, Havel is drawn to not only the inherent formal issues of these recycled pieces of fabric, but also the direct, straightforward nature of the subject matter.
Two freestanding sculptures, Silk Drape and Tablecloth with Holes, occupy the remainder of the 3,000 square foot exhibition space. Over ten feet tall and made of cast bronze, Silk Drape rises from the ground, gently twisting toward the ceiling. Both massive and delicate, the sculpture defies gravity; with its subtle folds and curves, the cast curtain stretches the traditional limits of bronze. More ethereal, Tablecloth with Holes is made from sandblasted linen and epoxy and appears to have been poured into place, billowing gracefully as it touches the floor.
Havel was included in several recent group exhibitions, including 2000 Biennial Exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, House of Sculpture at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Texas, and Texas Draws at the Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston, Texas. Havel’s sculpture and drawings can be found in the permanent collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; The Contemporary Art Museum, Honolulu; Dallas Museum of Art; Musee Arte, Roubaix, France; and Whitney Museum of American Art. Joseph Havel received his B.F.A. from the University of Minnesota and a M.F.A. from Pennsylvania State University. He currently lives and works in Houston, Texas.
Please contact Amy Harris at the gallery for more information or to request visuals. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday for 11am until 5pm and by appointment.