173: Towards,AGAINST, From

ARTIST
CATALOGUE
PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (New York, NY) -  LatchKey Gallery is proud to present, Towards, Against, From, a solo exhibition by Puerto Rican artist, Ivelisse Jimenez. Towards, Against, From presents new works by the artist along with site a specific installation in the main gallery. The exhibition will be on view from October 30 – December 1, 2024 at 173 Henry Street, New York, NY 10002. An artist reception will be held on October 30th from 6 to 8PM.

“Towards, Against, From, Jimenéz borrows its title from the song Haciacontradesde by Puerto Rican singer-songwriter and environmental psychologist Rebio Díaz.[1] The phrase towards, against, from stitches together three prepositions—the linguistic fortune tellers of nouns. Prepositions precede the thing that they are acting upon “to show direction, location, or time, or to introduce an object.”[2] Towards means "in the direction of," while against is defined as "in opposition towards." These prepositions are both complementary and contradictory, acting upon our orientation. When witnessing Jimenéz’s works, we are pulled into a constant negotiation with opacity—elements conceal and reveal themselves depending on our vantage point. This constant hum between opacity and perception creates, as Jimenéz terms it, “spaces where intuition, apprehension, and concepts remain open.”[3] Towards, Against, Fromoffers us an invitation to sit with uncertainty—a state that Jimenéz is committed to building from, but not alone in knowing. As we bear witness to the state of the world, what do the limits of our own perception continue to hide from us?”
- from the essay Prepositions as Structure in the Works of Ivelisse Jimenéz by Teréz Iacovino

Ivelisse Jiménez’s installations and assemblages present visual propositions regarding change and the construction of meaning in dialogue with the inhabited space. Her compositional language of layered vinyl shapes wander in irregular orbits, climb surfaces, reach ceilings, and spread onto adjacent walls. The assemblages are paintings made of mixed materials, colorful layers, that seemingly defy the confines of painting to add a sculptural element to the works. Pulling us in different directions, her compositions seek to defeat the sensible self and induce an awareness of the multiple considerations by which our world might otherwise be ordered.  With calculated mischief the colors, textures, shapes, patterns, and transparencies invite the viewer to a tasting of bewildering sensations, enticing them to make sense of the rhapsody of its parts.

[1] To listen to the full track see Rebio Díaz, “Haciacontradesde.” Haciacontradesde, Rebio Díaz, 2003, https://open.spotify.com/track/55UgOlC4YswcaGk8iWOQiD?si=ca384fdaa0544a18. Learn more about Díaz’s research and teaching at https://enviropsych.org/faculty/rebio-diaz-cardona/.

[2] “What is a Preposition?” Merriam-Webster.com, accessed October 23, 2024, https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/what-is-a-preposition. For definitions of “towards” and “against” also see Merriam-Webster.com.

[3] Ivelisse Jimenéz, email message to Teréz Iacovino r, October 6, 2024.

Ivelisse Jiménez’s (b. 1966 S.J., Puerto Rico) work has been exhibited in the United States, Europe, The Americas and Puerto Rico at museums, galleries, biennials, art fairs and other institutions. She has been part of the Museo del Barrio Biennale NYC, Prague Biennale, Cuenca Biennale and ARCO project rooms in Spain, among others. Awards include The Joan Mitchell Award for Painters and Sculptors and The Adolf Gottlieb Foundation Grant. Collections include Museo del Barrio NYC, The Bronx Museum, NY and Museo de Puerto Rico, San Juan where her installation, Fuera de registro #3 is currently on view. 

Jiménez has a BA in Humanities from the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras and MFA in Studio Arts from New York University. After living and working in NY for 20 years, she now has her residence and studio in Puerto Rico.