NEW YORK, NY – Chelsea’s Agora Gallery will feature the original work of Benny De Grove in Life is But a Dream. The exhibition opens May 22, 2018 and runs through June 12,  2018 with an opening reception on Thursday, May 24 from 6-8 pm. Any art lover who enjoys thought-provoking artworks and meeting talented and interesting artists is encouraged to attend.

About the Artist

Benny De Grove’s gripping photographs are at once whimsical and thought provoking as they straddle the boundaries between fantasy and reality. Working in predominantly photographic prints on Hahnemühle paper, the artist’s photographs exude drama and high contrasts in light and shadow reminiscent of Renaissance masters Rembrandt, Jan van Eyck, and Caravaggio. Equally so, De Grove’s spirited, often symbolic subject matter recalls that of Surrealist artist Rene Magritte and Neo-Impressionist and Expressionist James Ensor.

De Grove’s subjects are often recognizable, whether human, animal, or vegetable. Nonetheless, the artist places his subjects amidst cryptic backgrounds composed of monochrome textures and superimposed images that invite the viewer to ponder the meaning and symbolism within his works. In Where is the Public (2017), a circus ringleader clad in a vibrant blue coat peers through a black and gray marbled curtain that comprises the whole of the exhibition. His expression is at once perplexed and nearly reprehensive, thus forcing the viewer to question the context of his countenance. The artist explains: “Reality gives me basics and my dream world fills in the feeling I want to express… most of my recent work can only exist by a mixture of different pictures brought together into a new reality: the reality of my feelings.”

Exhibition Dates: May 22-June 12, 2018

Reception: Thursday May 24, 2018 6-8 PM

Gallery Hours: Tues-Sat 11:00am – 6:00pm

Gallery Location: 530 West 25th Street, New York, NY

Event URL: https://www.agora-gallery.com/artistpage/Benny_De_Grove.aspx

Featured Artists:

toNI Altenstrasser | Maria José Cabral | Margret Carde | Benny De Grove | GLIL | Paciel González | Olga Loschinina | Samantha Messias | Jennifer Morrow | Svetlana Nelson | Olivia O'Keeffe | Gottfried Roemer | Jutta Schulte | Ifat Shatzky | Amber Warren | Satoco Yamamoto | Katja Yoon

About the Exhibition

Life is But a Dream is a group show that explores the surreality of memory and identity in a world too often constructed to resemble a mere product on the shelf of popular culture. Comprising 17 artists, the primary link joining them together is how memory can be reshaped by the imagination. These artists all share in examining the content of what they remember, with social and familial life acting as a lens through which they reexamine recollected moments.

About Agora Gallery

Agora Gallery is a contemporary fine art gallery located in the heart of Chelsea’s fine art district in New York. Established in 1984, Agora Gallery specializes in connecting art dealers and collectors with national and international artists. The art gallery’s expert consultants are available to assist corporate and private clients in procuring original artwork to meet their organization’s specific needs and budget requirements. With a strong online presence and popular online gallery, ARTmine, coupled with the spacious and elegant physical gallery space, the work of our talented artists, who work in diverse media and styles, can receive the attention it deserves. Over the years Agora Gallery has sponsored and catered to special events aimed at fostering social awareness and promoting the use of art to help those in need.