NUDE NATURE

La MaMa La Galleria, NYC, June 17 - 27, 1999

(from the press release)

New York, NY ­ In their first joint exhibition Swiss artists Dieter Hall and Marianne Lévai examine the ambiguous attraction of opposites. Their exhibition "Nude Nature" will run at the La MaMa La Galleria from June 17 to 27. A startling juxtaposition of two distinct but intriguingly connected artists, the exhibition brings together large-scale oil portraits by Dieter Hall and ceramic sculptures and abstract floral installations by Marianne Lévai. There will be an opening reception on June 17 from 6 to 9 pm. La MaMa La Galleria is located at 6 East First Street, New York,
NY 10003.

Strikingly different in their formal approach, the artists find common ground in the notions of nudity and nature. In Dieter Hall's portraits of men, the subjects bare their personalities in the confrontation with the viewer as well as, sometimes, by shedding their clothes. Marianne Lévai's sculptures are stripped of embellishing glazes and integrated with elements of raw iron; their abstract shapes are inspired by archaic figures and natural objects. Her oversize floral installations, works of art rather than decoration, serve as a metaphorical bridge between the pictorial and sculptural pieces in the exhibition.

Both artists are residents of New York City, and have had numerous exhibitions of their work in Europe, mainly in Switzerland, as well as in the United States. Male nudes by Dieter Hall were shown at La MaMa La Galleria in August of 1997 in combination with a series of musical events titled "Seven Concerts and a Painted Orchestra," which was hailed as "daring" by the New York Times.

La MaMa La Galleria is an innovative not-for-profit art space dedicated to originality and artistic risk-taking. "Nude Nature" is made possible by: Fondation Nestlé pour l'Art; Pro Helvetia, the Arts Council of Switzerland; Associated Cut Flower Co., Inc.; Charles Jourdan USA, Inc.

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