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Current Exhibition:
Indira Cesarine THE LABYRINTH

 

Online Viewing Room:

INDIRA CESARINE

THE LABYRINTH

Opening Reception March 12th
Exhibit on View: June 24 – August 28, 2020

The Untitled Space is pleased to present an online viewing room of “THE LABYRINTH,” an installation and exhibition of works by artist Indira Cesarine featuring photography, video, painting, and sculpture, as well as a series of performances inspired by the artwork.

 

For “THE LABYRINTH” Cesarine has created an immersive installation, transforming the gallery into a maze through which viewers can experience her contemporary female gaze on Surrealism, a theme the artist has been exploring through a variety of mediums over the past several decades. “THE LABYRINTH” is a surreal odyssey that reveals through its passages a kaleidoscopic universe of subconscious realities bound by the contrasts of hyperrealism and ethereal symbolism. Cesarine leads the viewer through this maze of discoveries, presenting works that are deeply personal and equally created in response to the influence of Surrealists including Jean Cocteau, Man Ray, and Dora Maar. “THE LABYRINTH” explores the juxtaposition of contrasting opposites, dimension, distortion, and the power of light to engage and reflect on our own stream of subconscious while provoking the tangibility of perceived realities. The result is a journey through our fantasies and expectations, rendered through the lens of dreams and desires.

Indira Cesarine “The Labyrinth – Iyanna and the Leaves No 1” 2020 Archival C-Print on Metallic Glossy Paper – Dimensions 45″ x 60” – Edition of 3 /  Archival Print on Aluminum – Dimensions 20″ x 24” – Edition of 6. Artwork top: “Les Roses Violettes” 2020

Indira Cesarine “The Labyrinth – Blue Rose” 2020, Archival Print on Aluminum – available in limited edition sizes of 4″ x 6″,  9″ x 12″,  and 16″ x 20″.  Request More Info

The juxtaposition of Cesarine’s macro and kaleidoscopic florals created for “THE LABYRINTH” play in sharp contrast to the visual yin yang of her surreal portraits of women that explore female sensuality and identity.  

 

I find myself returning to the visual language of flowers – as a representation of women’s sexuality, as well as emotional expression of love, forgiveness, sorrow, and hope. Throughout history, flowers have been ripe with symbolism, with each blossom or arrangement having different meanings. The language of flowers dates back many centuries, and they were often used to send secret messages to lovers. For me the flower can be alluring, mysterious, sensual and full of emotions that are difficult to express with words.” – Indira Cesarine

Indira Cesarine “The Labyrinth – Natalya Blue” 2020 Archival C-Print on Premium Satin Paper – Dimensions 30″ x 36” – Edition of 3 / Archival Print on Acrylic – Dimensions 20″ x 24″ – Limited Edition of 6. 

Indira Cesarine “Les Roses Blanches La Nuit Bleue” 2020, Archival Print on Aluminum – available in limited edition sizes of 11″ x 14″ and 16″ x 20″.  Request More Info

“I have been exploring themes of Surrealism in my work since my very first forays into photography back in the late 80’s. Experimental darkroom techniques such as solarization and double exposures have played an important part of my visual narrative, which also often employs nuances of fractured light.

 

Some of my early influences include Surrealists Manray and Jean Cocteau, as well as photographers including Robert Mapplethorpe (specifically his florals which I recall seeing in books as a child). I have also always admired the works of Louise Bourgeois and Ghada Amer, both of whom cross over into many mediums with a very specific female gaze.”

Indira Cesarine “I Think I’m Dreaming” 2020 – Glass Neon Text Sculpture Mounted on White Sintra Archival Photograph with Steel Stand Off Mounts, Electrical Transformer – Dimensions 30″ x 40”  (Unique)

Indira Cesarine “The Labyrinth – Iyanna No 1” 2020 – Archival Print on Aluminum – Available in Limited Editions of 16″ x 20″ an 18″ x 24″.  Request More Info

“This exhibition is inspired by the maze of life, the power of human connection, emotion and experience – combined with the surreal nature of the unknown.” 

– Indira Cesarine

Indira Cesarine “The Labyrinth – Iyanna and Svala No 1” 2020 – Archival C-Print on Premium Satin Paper – Dimensions 45″ x 60” – Edition of 3. Also available: Archival Print on  Raw Aluminum – Dimensions 18″ x 24″ – Edition of 6. 

“While studying for my degree in Art History at Columbia University in Paris I became very interested in the history of Surrealism, and wrote a 30 page paper in french, “Surréalisme, Sexualité, et La Femme,” (1992) on the male gaze and misogyny of many of the original Surrealists. Presenting an empowering female perspective on images of women has always been an important part of my work. Explorations of female identity, sexuality, dreams and desires have been returning themes in my artwork since I first started creating.

 

In several of my recent works featured in “THE LABYRINTH” I explore surreal techniques of “light painting” that were invented by Man Ray in 1937, which I have juxtaposed with dramatic chiaroscurist portraits of women in order to evoke an ethereal universe of light and energy.” – Indira Cesarine

Natalya Electric No 1, 2020

Archival Print on Aluminum, 12" x 18" Edition of 6

Natalya Electric No 2, 2020

Archival Print on Aluminum, 16" x 24" Edition of 6

Natalya Electric No 3, 2020

Archival Print on Aluminum, 12" x 18" Edition of 6

Indira Cesarine “Iyanna Electric Blue” 2020, Archival C-Print on Satin Paper, 30″ x 40″ Edition of 3 /  Archival Print on Aluminum – 9″ x 12″  Limited Edition of 15. Request More Info

Through the lens of fantasy and illusion, Cesarine toys with imagery of the subconscious mind, depicting the human form with power and subjectivity. 

 

“Empowering feminist themes are often a point of departure for my multi-sensory series. My work questions the place of humanity in context with contemporary civilization and is often influenced by autobiographical content and women’s history at large. I draw from historical narratives in an effort to create empowering artwork that can have an impact on the viewer, be a catalyst for change or provide insight into history, which may have been overlooked.”

– Indira Cesarine

Indira Cesarine “LIFEFORCE (ENERGY)” 2018, Glass Neon Light Sculpture Mounted on Resin Hand Sculptures with Electrical Transformer – Dimensions 15″ x 22″ x 6″ (Unique).

Les Mains d'Argents, 2020

Hand Sculptures in Resin with Flowers, each 12" x 4" x 6" (Unique).

WE ARE WATCHING (YOU), 2017

Plaster, cotton, steel, glass and chrome base, iPad display 70" x 19" x 20".

Les Mains Blanches, 2020

Hand Sculptures in Resin with Flowers, each 12" x 4" x 6" (Unique).

Flowers, hands and faces intertwine in a reverie that is part real, part illusion. Sculptural hands in resin project from the walls of the installation as though coming alive, part human, part sculpture, in a manner that is both seductive and haunting. Her life sized sculpture, “WE ARE WATCHING (YOU)” holds an iPad display of video art, featuring a 2020 remix of her film “The Spell” which was exhibited at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, adding to the visual poetry and experience of THE LABYRINTH.

Indira Cesarine “The Labyrinth – Rêver de Roses” 2020 Archival Ink Print on Glossy Sheer Aluminum Metal, Limited Edition of 6 available in dimensions 11″ x 14″ and 16″ x 20″.

Iyanna and Svala No 2, 2020

Archival Print on Aluminum, Edition of 6 in 11" x 14" and 16" x 20".

IYANNA AND SVALA NO 2, 2020

Archival Print on Aluminum, Edition of 6 in 11" x 14" and 16" x 20".

Indira Cesarine “The Labyrinth – Les Lys Fleurissent” 2020 Archival Print on Aluminum available in dimensions 12″ x 18″ and 16″ x 20″ – both Limited Editions of 6.

Starla and Svala No 1, 2020

Archival Print on Aluminum 16" x 20" Edition of 6 .

Iyanna No 5, 2020

Archival Print on Aluminum, Limited Edition in 9" x 12" and 16" x 20".

“THE LABYRINTH” exhibition and installation features Cesarine’s most recent body of work, as well as select works from her “Pandora’s Box”, “Goddess”, “ONLY YOU”, and “Les Fleurs du Mal” series. 

 

Cesarine’s “Les Fleurs du Mal” welded steel sculpture series reflects on the emotional impact and symbolism of flowers, which are often given as a tokens of forgiveness, love, death, sorrow, or hope. The depiction of flowers, whether as a still life, as part of a photographic composition, or in the form of a 3 dimensional sculpture has been an ongoing theme in Cesarine’s artwork dating back to her early photography series shot on medium format film in the 1990s.

Les Fleur Du Mal, 2018

Hand welded steel sculpture, 27" x 25" x 25" (Unique)

Mother Earth, 2018

Hand welded steel sculpture, 19" x 11" x 9" (Unique)

Indira Cesarine “Les Roses Blanches Sont Innocents” 2020 Archival Ink Print on Glossy Aluminum – Available in Limited Edition of 6, Dimensions 12″ x 18″ or 20″ x 30″.

Indira Cesarine “Pandora’s Box Shh (Blue)” 2020 Glass Neon Sculpture Mounted in Transparent Mirrored Plexi Cube, Steel Standoff Mounts, Electrical Transformer – Dimensions 12″ x 12″ x 8″  (Unique) –  Request More Info

“As my work has evolved, I have become inspired by creating 3 dimensional works in glass and steel that further propel my visual language. My sculptures explore themes of female identity, symbolism and experience, employing a technical emphasis on light and reflection, often combining figurative sculpture with neon or video display to further engage a multifaceted experience.”

Indira Cesarine “The Labyrinth – Iyanna No 3” 2020, Archival Ink Print on Glossy Raw Aluminum Metal, Available in dimensions 9″ x 12″ (Limited Edition of 15) and 16″ x 20″ (Limited Edition of 6). 

The Labyrinth - The Blue Lilly, 2020

Archival Print on Aluminum, 15" x 10" Edition of 6

Une Rose Fleurit en Argent, 2020

Archival Print on Aluminum, 12" x 8" Edition of 15

Roses in The Leaves, 2020

Archival Print on Aluminum, 12" x 8" Edition of 15

Indira Cesarine “The Labyrinth – Starla and Svala No 2” 2020, Archival Ink on Glossy Raw Aluminum, Limited Edition of 6 available in dimensions 18″ x 24″. 

La Fleur, 2017

Hand Welded Steel Sculpture 19" x 7" x 4" (Unique).

La Reine, 2018

Hand Welded Steel Sculpture 18.5" x 8.5" x 5" (Unique).

Indira Cesarine “The Labyrinth – Les Roses Violettes” 2020 – Archival C-Print on Glossy Metallic Paper – Dimensions 36″ x 48″ – Edition of 3. Also available: Archival Print on Acrylic – Dimensions 16″ x 20″ – Edition of 6. 

“There is something intrinsically female about flower blossoms and their visual reference to a women’s body that resonates with me as an artist.” 

Smoking Magenta Roses, 2020

Archival Print on Aluminum, 12" x 9" Edition of 15

Iyanna and the Leaves No 2, 2020

Archival Print on Aluminum, 20" x 16" Edition of 6

Magenta Rose, 2020

Archival Print on Aluminum, 12" x 9" Edition of 15

Indira Cesarine “The Labyrinth – Iyanna Electric” 2020, Archival Ink Print on Glossy Aluminum – Available in Limited Edition of 6, Dimensions 24″ x 16″.  Request More Info

Cesarine’s use of symbolism and dramatic chiaroscuro conveys emotionally charged imagery that presents both an escape into fantasy and a journey through our unattainable desires.

“As a multidisciplinary artist, I often work across several mediums such as photography, video, sculpture, painting, and printmaking to convey a rich and diverse narrative. As an artist, I find it is more effective to communicate my ideas through visual and sensory explorations that can uniquely address the world we live in today.

 

The body painting featured in my latest series was inspired by early Surreal photography as well as Mexican Calavera paintings. As a Mexican American artist I often find inspiration from my heritage, and incorporate subtle details while maintaining a contemporary approach.

Indira Cesarine  Image 1: “Les Roses Ouvertes” 2020 Archival Print on Aluminum, Edition of 6 in 16″ x 20″; Image 2: “Pink & Silver Lillies” 2020 Archival Print on Aluminum Limited Edition of 15 dimensions 9″ x 12″; Image 3 + 4: “Rose Blanche” No. 1 & No 2 Archival Prints on Aluminum. 

Natalya in The Leaves, 2020

Archival Print on Aluminum, 11" x 14" Edition of 6

Roses in The Leaves, 2020

Archival Print on Aluminum - Limited Editions: 6" x 4" and 12" x 8"

Indira Cesarine – Image 1:  “The Labyrinth – Blue Lillies” 2020 Archival Print on Glossy Aluminum, Limited Editions available in dimensions 16″ x 20″ and 30″ x 40″. Image 2 + 3: “Field of Flowers” 2020, and “Cascade of Lillies” 2020, both Archival Prints on Acrylic 20″ x 24″ Limited Editions of 3, 

Natalya No 4, 2020

Archival Print on Aluminum, 9" x 12" Ed of 15 and 16" x 20" Ed of 6

Les Mains Blanches, 2020

Hand Sculptures in Resin with Flowers each 12" x 4" x 6" Unique.

Indira Cesarine “Dreaming of Eden” 2020 Glass Neon Text Sculpture Mounted on Archival Acrylic Photograph with Steel Stand Off Mounts, Electrical Transformer. Dimensions 20″ x 24″ x 4″ (Unique).

“THE LABYRINTH” exhibition and installation features select works from Cesarine’s “Goddess” and “ONLY YOU” series. The “Goddess” series features photographic artwork of renowned dancer Katherine Crockett shot in studio on medium format and montaged with landscapes and macro flora images, with all photography and compositing by Indira Cesarine. The series presents empowering emotive images of the female form, with graceful physical strength juxtaposed with images depicting the power of nature. Mother earth becomes personified through the beauty of a goddess dancing.

 

The selection of medium format photography and video art from her “ONLY YOU” series featured in “THE LABYRINTH” focuses on close up of a woman’s eyes as an emotional portal. The series is based on autobiographical experiences of the artist, emphasizing the impact of love and loss. Works from her “ONLY YOU” series were previously exhibited at Art Basel Miami for exhibition in collaboration with American Friends of The Louvre, at London’s Red Bull Studios in collaboration with Graffik Gallery, at CICA Museum, South Korea for “Portrait 2018”, at SCOPE Basel, Switzerland, June 2018, at The Untitled Space in New York City, as well as Norwood Arts Club, where is it on view through August 2020 in “Ingenuity” Group Show. The video art version has additional been screened at Cannes Film Festival and on the Big Screen Plaza in Chelsea, New York.

Indira Cesarine “ONLY YOU” Archival Ink on Sheer Aluminum, dimensions variable, Limited Editions of 6. “Goddess” Series – Archival Ink on Sheer Aluminum, Editions of 8″ x 12″ and 12″ x 18″. 

THE LABYRINTH 

Exhibition Publication 

Limited edition of 300 copies 

110 pages 

Hardcover $60

Softcover $40

 

Available for pre-order

Preview on Issuu

Install Views of THE LABYRINTH exhibition at The Untitled Space, extended through May 30, 2020. 

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY

 

Indira Cesarine is a multidisciplinary artist who works with photography, video, painting, printmaking, and sculpture. A graduate of Columbia University with a triple major in Art History, French and Women’s Studies, she additionally studied at Parson’s School of Design, International Center of Photography, School of Visual Arts, Art Students League and the New York Academy of Art. Cesarine had her first solo show at the age of sixteen at Paul Mellon Arts Center. Her work as an artist has been featured internationally at many art galleries, museums, and art fairs, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Hudson Valley MOCA, Mattatuck Museum, Albany Institute of History and Art, CICA Museum, San Luis Obispo Museum of Art, French Embassy Cultural Center, Art Basel Miami, SCOPE Art Basel, SCOPE Miami, SPRING/BREAK Art Show, Getty Images Gallery, Cannes Film Festival and the International Festival Photo Mode to name a few.

 

In 2014, her public art sculpture “The Egg of Light” was exhibited at Rockefeller Center as part of the Fabergé Big Egg Hunt supporting The Elephant Family. Her work has been auctioned at Sotheby’s New York for the annual Take Home A Nude art benefits in 2017-2019, at ARTWALK NY benefiting the Coalition for the Homeless in 2018 and 2019, as well as at Tabula Rasa, the 26th Annual Watermill Center Benefit and Auction, July 2019. Her work is additionally on view at Norwood Art Club’s “Ingenuity” exhibition until August 2020. Her artwork and exhibitions have been featured internationally in many publications including American Vogue, Vogue Italia, Forbes, Newsweek, W Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, Dazed and Confused, New York Magazine, i-D Magazine, and The Huffington Post among many others. Cesarine currently lives and works in Tribeca, NY.

To inquire about any of the works featured in this exhibition

please email info@untitled-space.com

 

View exhibit artworks for sale on ARTSY

 

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