The Front Room Gallery is proud to present ‘Systema naturae’. In 1735 Carolus Linnaeus published ‘Systema naturae’ to classify the three kingdoms of nature and developed the designations of classes, orders, genera and species for the animal plant and mineral kingdoms. In the exhibition ‘Systema Naturae” at the Front Room gallery, the artists Gregory Curry and Alexandra Newmark turn the conventions that Carolus Linneaeus established on their side. Alexandra Newmark’s sculptural work blends Linnaeus’ designations, as the flora and fauna she creates in her installation merge and take on characteristics from alternate kingdoms. Gregory Curry eludes Linnaeus’ system by depicting a world in his paintings where these classifications are inapplicable; Curry’s organisms appear simultaneously as microscopic cellular actions and enormous beings from the vacuum of space.

Alexandra NewmarkAlexandra Newmark’s installation “In the Forest” converts the gallery space into a stylized forest of furry felt trees inhabited by biomorphic crocheted animals. These vaguely arachnoid creatures, made from mohair yarn, are at once disarming and terrifying. The trees impede access while the creatures stare at a golden nest. Within this narrative the motives are obscured, tempting the viewer to change perspectives; are the creatures in an offensive or defensive posture? The materials themselves are inherently weak & soft; the mohair speaks to coziness, inviting the viewer in. Yet the forms can be frightening and alien. The work, painstakingly crocheted by hand, lends itself to this dichotomy between the gentle playfulness of the object and the obsessive nature of their creation. Alexandra Newmark has received fellowships from the Can Serrat Foundation and the Fundacion Valparaiso in Spain. Newmark has been the recipient of the coveted Pollack-Krasner grant. Her work has been exhibited in New York, Philadelphia and Los Angeles.

Gregory CurryIn his paintings Gregory Curry has invented a new biology. The behavior of the organisms from Curry’s world of luminous greens and oranges is seemingly put under the microscope and we become privy to the existential struggle they endure. This nebulous environment might shroud their identities, but their purposes are often much clearer than their scale or surroundings. They are refugees, assassins, congregations of similar organisms and menacing loners. In these paintings the body has been expanded, contracted, manufactured, reworked and jettisoned. These paintings utilize familiar modes of representation: rendering, classic spatial relationships and perspective to familiarize these forms in spite of the taxonomic meltdown they are undergoing. Gregory Curry was the recipient of a Francis Criss Purchase Award and received a full scholarship to the Skowhegan School of Painting. He has exhibited in New York, New Jersey and Bilbao, Spain.