#CO2
Ellen de Meijer
April 11 – May 25, 2019
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
UNIX Gallery is pleased to present #CO2, a series of new paintings by Dutch artist Ellen de Meijer. De Meijer uses her medium to confront viewers with an inconvenient truth that describes our modern day life; despite our incredible technological revolution, humanity naively presumes that endless consumerism has little impact on our planet. The artist explores the trappings of social construction and expectation that causes many societies to become complicit in environmental disruption.
As we simultaneously take pride in the evolution of humankind, we seem ignorant to the gravity and subsequent impact of climate change on our planet. De Meijer believes we have wholly embraced a fidelity to material possessions, power, and individual gains, and that our detachment will lead to devastating consequences.
In this exhibition, ripe with thematic references, viewers are invited to engage with a collection of stoic, uncomfortable characters unabashedly displaying their wealth. In Floating Regret, we are confronted by the image of a man who wishes to proceed with business as usual, adapting to the destruction around him through his use of water wings. The black water wing on his left arm also functions as a mourning band. Hereby, de Meijer effectively communicates that humankind is not only the cause, but also the victim, of its own decay.
In this period of her life as a painter, de Meijer feels it is time to give her work deeper meaning and purpose. She believes art can make us look forward and be critical, and can force us to hold a mirror up to ourselves. With these portraits, Ellen de Meijer hopes to raise individual awareness for the issue of global warming.
About UNIX Gallery
UNIX Gallery was founded in 2003 in London by Daniela Mercuri and Alex Cesaria and operated privately, concentrating on the secondary market, until 2010. That year they moved the gallery stateside, establishing a public exhibition space in Miami’s Wynwood district, where they broadened their program by showcasing emerging contemporary artists. Following several successful years in Miami, the gallery moved to its current space on W 26th street in New York’s Chelsea gallery district. Since then the gallery has expanded to include a roster of international contemporary artists, both emerging and established. In addition to their rigorous annual exhibition and art fair program, the gallery regularly collaborates with nonprofit and educational organizations on projects and exhibitions that aim to give back to the community. Above all, UNIX Gallery remains dedicated to presenting thought provoking, immersive exhibitions that instill a strong emotional impact.
About the Artist
Ellen de Meijer was born in 1951 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, where she currently works and resides. Her artwork is favored by collectors worldwide and is featured in the prestigious Van den Broek Foundation, which is one of the Dutch top 5 private art collections. Recent exhibitions include the Cornell Art Museum in Delray Beach, Florida, and global art fairs such as Art Central Hong Kong, Art Singapore, Art Miami, Art Toronto, and Art Aspen.
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© UNIX Gallery, Ellen de Meijer, 2019. All Rights Reserved.
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