20 January – 24 February, 2007

Exhibition

Opening Reception, Saturday January 20th, 6-8pm

Spencer Brownstone Gallery is delighted to announce our third solo show of new work by Jeff Gabel, in which the artist hones his hilarious and startlingly insightful observations of the world around him.
Typically taking the form of pencil drawings of people appended by lines of scrawled text that outline the moment of individual crisis or reverie in which that character may be caught, Gabel's work represents a searching and hugely empathetic exploration of the contemporary American social landscape.
Repeatedly drawn to the kind of suburban and rural milieux of the artist's formative years in Nebraska and Kansas, Gabel's subject matter gravitates toward the themes of religion, sex, alcohol, politics, violence, art and guilt. While often adopting the tone of a ranting misanthrope, the voice (recalling the animated work of Mike Judge or comic books of Daniel Clowes) is used ultimately as a guise that allows the artist to get close to his subject matter.
The main space will feature a wall of small drawings exquisitely rendered on six and eight inch square gesso boards, as well as a series of large drawings on canvas that take a wry look at the intersection of religion and popular culture. In the back space at the gallery, Gabel will debut the latest of his translation works, an illustrated audio-visual adaptation of the Thomas Mann short story 'Gladius Dei', rendered from the original German into a grammatically impoverished (yet profanity-rich) contemporary vernacular.

Artist Bio

Jeff Gabel lives and works in Brooklyn. He received a BFA from Kansas State University in 1992, and an MFA from the Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, in 1995. His past shows include solo exhibitions at Spencer Brownstone Gallery in 2002 and 2004, as well as contributions to group exhibitions at venues including 254 Bethnal Green, London; D.U.M.B.O. Arts Center, Brooklyn; The Weatherspoon Art Museum, Greensboro, North Carolina; and White Columns, New York.

Further Reading

Our exhibition of new work by Jeff coincides with a solo presentation of selected work from the past ten years by the artist - part of 'Storylines: Narrative in Drawing' - on view at Staten Island's Snug Harbor Cultural Center through March 25th 2007.

SBG - Recent Press

Gabel Opening, SBG - pics

Jeff Gabel, Time Out New York

Jeff Gabel opening at SBG

Jeff Gabel on Staten Island - pics

Jeff Gabel on Staten Island