York Art Gallery Hosts Queens Biennial Show

The York college Art Gallery has been opened since 1992 and one of its main purposes is to help promote art that has not been publicized. Because of this, Margaret Rose Vendryes, Lecturer in Fine Arts at York College, hosted the 2020 Southeast Queens Biennial to “address literacy, identity, and the environment with work that investigates how their creative practice contributes to the life of the borough” according to York’s website. Vendryes, the gallery’s curator said, “York is the key place to promote what the community is doing as well as what the students are doing.”

` Photo Credit: Kysa Harte

Among the visual art pieces in the gallery, the one that stood out the most was a piece called “Left Hanging” by Nicholas Fraser. The piece was the only one that was a carving and it has a 3D effect and shadows of the carved words beamed on the walls. “Left Hanging”, according to the artist statement, is an ongoing series of unanswered messages Fraser sent on internet dating sites. Ronnel Grant, 27, Communication Technology major at York College was one of the students amazed by this piece. He said, “The design is very engaging and the fact that the words pop out make the piece so dynamic.”

Photo Credit: Kysa Harte

The gallery features many pieces that differ from the generic idea of art and one other unique piece that was featured in the gallery was an assemblage. Audrey Dimola is the master behind the assemblage and it depicts her journey of finding the right home. The assemblage includes a chair, a door, with writings on it as well as mixed-media installation. Jeremiah Duffy, 32, Journalism major, said, “It makes me ask questions. The keys, the symbolism, the whole theme, and this place’s connection and how the artist connected with her community- it was amazing.”

Photo Credit: Kysa Harte

One other unique art piece featured in the gallery used a projector, sound and a paperback novel that added emotion to the piece. Jacqueline Herranz-Brooks, the artist of this piece called the “Blackout Series” describes two lovers being interrupted by police knocking on the cabin door where they had shut themselves in. To add more drama to this piece, viewers can hear the knocking as described in the paperback novel. Katherinne Cortes, 19, Journalism major said, “I felt like the artist wanted the people in that room to feel the intensity the people felt when the police were knocking on the door. It truly was such a beautiful and very unique piece.”

Photo Credit: Kysa Harte