Bennet Schlesinger and Sara French

Sebastian Gladstone is excited to announce our sophomore exhibition with Bennett Schlesinger and Sara French presenting new works made from paper and ceramic. The show will run from Sunday January 31st to Friday March 5th. The exhibition focuses on the elemental yet subtle forces of light and time through Schlesinger’s delicate and luminous light sculptures alongside French’s inventive wall clocks The impetus for the exhibition is to showcase the material diversity and strength of paper, a delicate material made durable in both cases through layering and a time-intensive fabrication practice.

Bennett Schlesinger’s light sculptures, lamps, and ceramics present an almost alien landscape within the space and radiate light through his beautiful shade-work. The forms light up the space through a fabrication process Schlesinger has developed over years using bamboo, translucent paper sheets, and archival glue. Once a skeleton is constructed from strong yet pliable bamboo, layers upon layers of paper are glued to the surface. The paper shades that emerge from this layering practice retain a delicate sensibility of paper that belies their resilient and stable construction. Light and warmth radiate outward from these shades, which rest on handmade ceramic bases with custom brass fittings. Complementing the light sculptures, Schlesinger has created a series of standalone sculptures as part of his residency at Sebastian Gladstone. These ceramic sculptures evoke and pay homage to many of his aesthetic heroes such as Cy Twombly, Suzan Frecon, and Peter Voulkos while referencing the sublime. As in his work with paper, the textures of his ceramic vessels create a beautiful trompe l'oeil: seemingly carved out of solid stone, they are in fact light and delicate.

Sara French’s clocks are a breath of fresh air. Made almost entirely out of recycled and repurposed paper, these clocks are mold-made and take one to two months to dry before color and decoration can be applied--a truly apt working time considering the medium's final outcome. Her use of color grants a fresh simplicity to work that in fact requires a complex series of steps developed from years of expertise with paper and a passion for horology. To French, paper functions as the ultimate egalitarian medium, as she uses the finest card stock to the soggiest newsprint alike. All of the paper is shredded and pressed into the mold with no adhesive or chemistry; time is the only solution for a properly made clock in her studio.

Bennett Schlesinger, (b. 1987 Costa Mesa, CA), is currently based in Los Angeles, CA. His work has been exhibited in numerous group and solo exhibitions at Violet’s Cafe, Brooklyn; Karma, Amagansett; SIGNAL, Brooklyn; AND NOW, Dallas; Big Medium, Austin, and others.

Sara French, (b. 1985 Canada), currently lives and works in Montreal. Throughout her career she has used newspaper as her main medium and inspiration. Through sculpture and performance, French addresses the theme of time. Before receiving her masters from Emily Carr University in Visual Arts, she completed her bachelors in Art History and Visual Arts at the University of Windsor. French has performed and exhibited throughout North America and across Europe, including:Temple Bar Gallery(Dublin, Ireland),Art Gallery of Alberta(Edmonton, Canada), andJack Hanley Gallery(New York, USA).