Annabeth Rosen's New York Solo Debut at Meulensteen Features Ceramic Gorgon-Triffid Hybrids

Annabeth Rosen presents her first solo exhibition in New York at Meulensteen gallery, running through November 6. The show features three hybrid ceramic sculptures that combine elements of Medusa, Ubu Roi, and the Day of the Triffids, displayed defiantly on dollies in the gallery's window on 22nd Street. Rosen, who holds the Robert Arneson Endowed Chair at UC Davis, extends Arneson's legacy through her fully sculptural ceramic work. The stacked, cartoonish baton-cum-squash shapes appear to push and shove against each other, creating a scene reminiscent of writhing souls from Dante. The artist acknowledges violent imagery in her work, rooted in childhood television viewing and bohemian years in rough New York neighborhoods. Despite these origins, the sculptures exhibit a gorgeous muscularity that recalls the sinewy contortions of Giambologna. The exhibition marks a significant moment for Rosen, an esteemed exponent of ceramic art, at the gallery formerly known as Max Protetch. Located at 511 West 22nd Street between 10th and 11th avenues, the project room show represents Rosen's quest for sculptural expression through clay.