American artist (born 1942) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Arlene Slavin (born 1942, Brooklyn, New York) is a painter, sculptor, and a print-maker whose practice also includes large-scale public art commissions. Slavin is a 1977 National Endowment for the Arts Grant recipient.
Slavin takes a multi-discipline approach to her work. A painter, print maker, and sculptor—she has created small scale folding screens as well as numerous large scale outdoor public commissions.
In the 1970s, Slavin developed a diagonal pencil grid system that served as the base for her geometric abstractions. Using layers of overlapping shimmering color woven into her grid, she painted many large scale works. Slavin's influences are in non-western art including: Japanese folding screens and woodblocks, Indian miniatures, Islamic tile work, and Byzantine mosaics.
Slavin's work aligned with the Pattern and Decoration movement, showing in Pattern and Decoration group exhibitions, most recently at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, California, in With Pleasure: Pattern and Decoration in American Art, 1972-1985.[1][2][3][4]
Arlene Slavin at With Pleasure: Pattern and Decoration in American Art, 1972-1985
Public art
Intersections Sculpture #8 at Guild Hall exhibition, Arlene Slavin: Intersections, 2014
Slavin's Public Art commissions grew out of her painted folding screens. Initially, she constructed the first screens using paper, in the manner of traditional Japanese folding screen artists. Later screens used wood. Always exploring new materials, Slavin turned to laser-cut steel. Steel was a perfect material for ornamental fences, gates and sculpture in the unguarded public space. Her public work also consists of carved glass wind screens, cast concrete sculptures, terrazzo flooring, steel seating and colored polymer window films.
Slavin developed and installed 28 Public Art projects, including:
2006- Island Beach State Park, New Jersey, Fisherman's Rest Facility Steel Sculpture
2004- Assunpink Wildlife Center, New Jersey, Entry Steel Sculptures
2002- Chapel Hill Public Art Commission, North Carolina, Stainless Steel Art Benches
1999- The Richard Stockon College of New Jersey, Concrete Gateway Sculptures & Terrazzo Floor
1999- PS 87 Playground, New York, 3 Concrete Buffalo Sculptures & Ornamental Fencing
1999- Liberty State Park Station, NJ Transit Paving Insert, Etched Glass, Seating, Tree Gates & Platform Inserts
1998- Congregation Tifereth Jacob, California, Tree of Life, Painted Steel Sculpture, Signage
1998- Fort Tryon Park, New York, Steel Animal Art Panels & 7 Gates
1998- J Hood Wright Park, New York, Gates, Fences, Guardrails & Paving Inserts
1996- Staten Island Jewish Community Center, Tree of Life, Painted Wall Sculpture Signage
1995- PS 130 (DeSoto School), New York, Railings, Main Stairway and Steel Wall Sculpture/Member Design Team
1991- Henry Street Settlement, New York, Steel Fence for Sculpture Garden/Member Design Team
1989- City of New York Parks and Recreation, Central Park, New York, Steel Bear Sculpture/ Bench, Grant
1989- Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York, Cathedral Bestiary, Steel Gates
1986- Bellevue Hospital Center, New York, Children's Psychiatric Unit, Mural
1983- Hudson River Museum, New York, Museum Cafe, Hudson River Trilogy, Three Room Dividers
1983- Albert Einstein School of Medicine, New York, Hospital Lobby, Mural
1983- Public Art Fund, New York, Chelsea Swimming Pool, Mural
1991- Threshold Foundation Grant for Decorative Gates at Henry Street Settlement
1977- National Endowment for the Arts Grant in Printmaking
Slavin has had a variety of solo and group exhibitions. Her work has been exhibited in the Whitney Biennial and other museums and galleries since the 1970s.[5] In 2015, she installed six sculptures in Pratt Sculpture Park, Brooklyn, New York.[6] The Bronx Museum showed her Intersection Sculpture Series in 2017.[7] She has recently been exhibited at Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, California, in With Pleasure: Pattern and Decoration in American Art, 1972-1985.[1]
1996- NYC Percent for Art/ Public Art- Queens Supreme Courthouse
1978- NY State Creative Arts Projects/ Graphics
Her works is in various museums and public collections, including:
Whitney Museum of American Art (1973). 1973 Biennial exhibition. Frances Mulhall Achilles Library Whitney Museum of American Art. Whitney Museum of American Art.
