FOR 3/7

ROSY KEYSER SOLO EXHIBIT AT PETER BLUM CHELSEA w/1 cut

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NEW YORK CITY — “Rosy Keyser: Rivers Burn and Run Backward” is on view through April 19 at Peter Blum Chelsea. This is Keyser’s first solo exhibition in New York.

“Rivers Burn and Run Backward” comprises a group of paintings and a selection of works on paper. Keyser energizes what she refers to as “neo brut” paintings with, in her case, a blend of rational and emotional notions. Her work unifies oppositions and negotiates various centers of gravity.

The paintings juxtapose humble elements with big gestures, and make references to pop culture, to spiritual narratives, and to art historical concepts such as “visionary painting” and “assemblage.” Keyser’s approach stems from a strong conviction that the natural world is instable and impermanent. All the parts of her paintings are constantly in play, guided by a relationship of cause and effect.

The physical act of painting is important in Keyser’s work. Her process-driven abstractions tell the story of their own making and present improbable combinations of materials. For example, Keyser coalesces mica (silicate minerals), a material known for its fragile and reflective qualities, with rough sawdust. She also contrasts dye paint that has been fully absorbed into the canvas with layers of glossy enamel. This play in the tension between pictorial surfaces and applied materials enables Keyser to create simultaneously complex and straightforward layers of expressive abstractions.

Keyser was born in 1974 in Baltimore, Md., and lives and works in Brooklyn, N.Y. She received her BFA from Cornell University and her MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

The gallery is at 526 West 29th Street. For information, www.peterblumgallery.com or 212-244-6055.