Donna Dennis's 'Houses and Hotels' exhibition at O'Flaherty's revisits early architectural installations

Donna Dennis's exhibition 'Houses and Hotels' at O'Flaherty's in New York showcases five architectural installations from 1972 to 1994, exploring vernacular American structures. The Ohio-born artist, who participated in the 1979 Whitney Biennial and 1982 Venice Biennale, creates works that blend painting, sculpture, and architecture. Her pieces, including 'Two Stories with Porch (for Robert Cobuzio)' (1977–79) and 'Hotel Pacifica' (1972), use humble materials to evoke psychological interiors and social histories. The show coincides with the release of her monograph by Monacelli and journals from Bamberger Books, marking a return for the octogenarian. Dennis's 'Tourist Cabin' series, begun in 1976, reflects her engagement with feminist consciousness-raising and personal experiences. 'Cataract Cabin' (1994), inspired by a New Hampshire cabin and Jane Bowles's story, features a clapboard shanty on a boulder with a subterranean narrative. The exhibition runs from 9 March to 28 April, highlighting Dennis's innovative use of light and industrial materials influenced by Minimalism.