Arlene Shechet’s Sculpture Show at Pace

Pace Gallery at 68 Park Place Passage in East Hampton presents “Together,” an exhibition of new ceramic and steel sculptures by Woodstock, New York-based artist Arlene Shechet. “Together” is on view through August 30 and offers a window into the artist’s work during these past months of quarantine, exploring how art might continue to serve as a source of visual and spiritual nourishment. The beguiling forms and jewel-toned surfaces of Shechet’s recent sculptures register her ongoing search for the continued possibility of joy, even in times of extraordinary upheaval.

Intimately scaled, the collectively, the sculptures allude to the medieval Book of Hours, offering the artist a way of marking time while inventing a new sculptural lexicon of chromatic and textural richness. Color is an integral part of Shechet’s work. Her new show hones into this particular aspect with intensity, as each piece is a consolidation of colors that burst with life, reflected also in the supporting bases of the works — which are as carefully considered as the artist’s glazed surfaces.

In a video produced by Pace on their homepage, Shechet discusses the making of these works over the past months and gives a preview of the sculptures that will be on view. In addition to this exhibition, on view until 2021 is the Whitney Museum’s exhibition “Making Knowing: Craft in Art,” which also features sculptural works by Shechet. The exhibition was closed temporarily due to COVID-19. Exact dates for “Making Knowing” are to be confirmed.