Atlantic Gallery Presents: Sense of Place by Susan Rostow

Susan Rostow’s sculptures resemble archeological artifacts with biomorphic traits, prompting us to probe into their origin and meaning. Peppered throughout the gallery space, the visceral and mysterious smaller scale sculptures titled Naiads, allude to the nymphs from Greek mythology who protect and reside over rivers and marshes. In the background along the walls these hybrid creatures form a comical procession. Going about their business, each projects a distinct gesture–a bulbous loner in orange hues by a tall pale figure with a protruding belly, a pair pausing to engage in a vivid conversation or perhaps an argument. In the front, duos or extended groups of mixed-scale sculptures hint at Rostow’s background as a prolific book artist. Here the sculptures reference spliced or carved book spines in myriad playful ways. They metamorphize into volumes of organic forms resembling abstracted human figures, imaginary animals, or both–all painted with rich colors ranging from earth tones to reds and vibrant yellows to algae greens—evoking natural matter.

Susan Rostow is a Brooklyn-based multi-media artist. Her sculptural works remind us how to dream and reimagine our world: past, present, and future. Her recent work has been influenced by her Research Residencies at the New York Academy of Medicine and the New York Historical Society, a collaborative project with CENTRAL BOOKING. Her work has earned a New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship, and a Pollock Krasner Foundation Grant. Susan’s work has been exhibited throughout the United States, Europe, Peru, Korea, and Japan. Her work is in public and private collections including the Allan Chasanoff Bookwork Collection, Yale University Art Gallery and the Library of Congress, National Print Archives.