Pierrette Bloch's First New York Solo Show in 58 Years at Haim Chanin Gallery

From April 25 to June 13, 2009, Haim Chanin Gallery presented Pierrette Bloch's first New York solo exhibition since 1951 at 121 West 19th Street. The French artist, associated with the Support/Surface group and a longtime friend of Pierre Soulages, has worked exclusively in black for many years. Her signature pieces feature horizontally-oriented lines of bound horsehair and ink-dotted white paper strips, often mounted directly on gallery walls. Bloch meticulously plans exhibitions using small models with miniature replicas of her work, overcoming the venue's limited space. The show included about two dozen works spanning her output, with ink blotch drawings dating back to 1975 and newer paintings on Isorel board from 2008. Her materials highlight humble elements like horsehair and inexpensive paper, contrasting with Soulages's large-scale oil paintings. Bloch's workspace is in a Paris studio apartment in the 15th arrondissement, where she prepares all installations. The exhibition offered an episodic introduction to her career, featuring works that explore mark-making with lyrical, calligraphic qualities influenced by Samuel Beckett and Henri Michaux.