London’s art scene is set to be revitalized this Spring as Lévy Gorvy Dayan opens the doors to its latest gallery in the prestigious Mayfair district, with a highly anticipated solo exhibition featuring the innovative work of New York-based artist N. Dash. Scheduled from April 25 through June 12, 2024, at 35 Dover Street, London, this exhibition marks a significant debut of Dash’s latest multi-panel paintings that skillfully weave together organic and synthetic materials, reflecting on the intricate ecologies of resonance among them.
N. Dash, known for a distinct approach that combines the tactile with the visual, presents a collection that emphasizes the haptic experience—a reminder of the often overlooked, yet profound impact of touch. This exhibition opens a dialogue with the material world, challenging conventional boundaries between natural and constructed elements. Through the use of diverse materials like earth, water, jute, cotton, graphite, oil, architectural insulation, and factory-produced cardboard, Dash creates works that resonate with structural, textural, and energetic synergy and tension.
One of the standout aspects of Dash’s work is the transformation of everyday items into something extraordinary. A painting may appear to shimmer with the hue of patinated copper but is actually composed of Styrofoam insulation. Another panel might feature an image silkscreened onto an earth-coated surface, its texture undulating with the topography formed by dried, cracked clay. These slippages among materials, processes, and meanings invite viewers to explore deeper connections and narratives within each piece.
Central to Dash’s artistic practice is a daily ritual of fraying a piece of white cotton with their fingers, turning a simple action into a powerful act of creation and resistance against the uniformity of machine-loomed fabric. This process not only challenges modernism’s grid but also imbues the sculptures with a life force, capturing the artist’s energy and the ambient influences of the environment. These tactile explorations are transferred onto panels prepared with earth, and complemented by planes of color that reveal halftone rosette patterns, bridging digital and physical realms.
The exhibition’s nuanced treatment of edges and surfaces, where earthen substrates and layered compositions are made visible, further exposes the quasi-geologic nature of the artworks. Through this visual language, N. Dash not only engages with ecological themes but also poses questions about the role of synthetic materials in our environment and the profound, intimate impact of human touch on natural resources.
Lévy Gorvy Dayan’s presentation of N. Dash’s work in its inaugural London exhibition not only celebrates the fusion of materiality and conceptual depth but also reinforces the gallery’s commitment to showcasing pioneering contemporary art. Visitors are invited to explore the compelling interplay between nature and fabrication, reality and representation, all while experiencing the transformative power of touch and the profound interconnectedness of our world.
