Sterling Ruby Exhibition Opens NYC
Contemporary artist Sterling Ruby is presenting "Atropa" at Sprüth Magers New York, drawing critical attention for its exploration of materiality and cultural critique. The exhibition underscores Ruby's influence in both the LA and New York art scenes. Ruby is considered a major figure in contemporary art known for his diverse media work.
- The exhibition's title, "Atropa," is taken from the scientific name for the deadly nightshade plant and references Atropos, the Greek Fate who severs the thread of life, highlighting the works' engagement with themes of toxicity and restoration. - The show features all new works, including graphite drawings from a series Ruby started three decades ago, pen-and-ink studies, watercolor collages, and bronze flower sculptures. - Ruby's diverse practice is influenced by a wide range of subjects including hip-hop culture, urban graffiti, American prisons, and craft traditions such as Amish quilt-making, which was part of his upbringing in Pennsylvania. - His large-scale spray paint canvases, titled with "SP" and a number, are influenced by the aesthetics of street art and urban demarcation, while also being compared to the work of Abstract Expressionist painters. - Beyond the art world, Ruby has a significant presence in fashion, having launched his own ready-to-wear label, S.R. STUDIO. LA. CA., and collaborated extensively with designer Raf Simons. - The hosting gallery, Sprüth Magers, was founded in Cologne, Germany, in 1983 by Monika Sprüth with an early focus on exhibiting influential female artists, later merging with Philomene Magers' gallery in 1998 to form a global presence. - Throughout his career, Ruby has consistently repurposed materials from his studio, incorporating scraps of bleached denim and discarded cardboard from previous projects into new collages and sculptures. - His work often explores the psychological underpinnings of U.S. culture, critiquing institutions and the coding of power and violence.
