The Art Scene: 01.26.17

New at Roman Fine Art

“Deconstructing Borders: The Flux of Dissent,” a solo exhibition of work by Elektra KB, will open at Roman Fine Art in East Hampton with a reception tomorrow evening from 6 to 8, and remain on view through Feb. 19. Born in Odessa, Ukraine, Elektra KB is a Colombian artist living in Berlin and New York who works in video, photography, sound, performance, and textiles. 

Informed by the current experience of migrant women from postcolonial societies, “Deconstructing Borders” addresses issues of migration, mobility, transculturality, and sense of place. To that end, the artist has created the “Theocratic Republic of Gaia,” a utopian-dystopian allegorical homeland populated only by women. 

As the child of a Russian mother and Colombian father who lives in neither country, she has said, “I don’t believe in nations or borders. I believe we should unite with what we have in common and what makes us communities.”

Large Works at Lehr

Janet Lehr Fine Arts in East Hampton will open “The Big Picture Group Show” with a reception on Saturday from 6 to 8 p.m. The exhibition, which will feature large works of art by modern and contemporary masters, will continue through Feb. 22.

Highlights include Bert Stern’s iconic double cross close-up of Marilyn Monroe, 12-foot canvases by Christopher Deeton, and a 78-foot oil by Wolf Kahn, as well as works by Gilbert and George, Larry Rivers, Robert Dash, and Man Ray, among others.

Award for Audrey Flack

Audrey Flack, a longtime resident of East Hampton, will receive the 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Women’s Caucus for Art on Feb. 18 at the New York Institute of Technology in Manhattan.

The W.C.A., funded in 1972, is committed to recognizing women’s contribution to the arts, providing women with leadership opportunities and professional development, expanding their networking and exhibition opportunities, supporting local, national, and global art activism, and advocating for equity in the arts for all. 

The W.C.A. Lifetime Achievement Awards were first presented in 1979 in President Carter’s Oval Office. The other recipients of this year’s award are Mary Schmidt Campbell, Martha Rosler, and Charlene Teters.

The evening will begin with a ticketed cocktail reception from 6 to 7:30. The awards ceremony, which is free and open to the public, will take place from 8 to 9:30. Reception tickets are available from nationalwca.org.

Call to Artists

Karyn Mannix Contemporary and the White Room Gallery in Bridgehampton have put out a call for submissions to the 12th annual “Love and Passion” exhibition, which will be on view at the White Room from Feb. 10 through Feb. 12, with a reception set for Feb. 11 from 5 to 8 p.m.

All mediums, including performance and video, and all sizes are acceptable. The public will determine best in show, most thought-provoking, and most original. Artists may submit one to three works that address the theme of love and passion. The deadline for submissions is Tuesday. 

More information, including fees and specifications, can be found at karynmannixcontemporary.com.