Ceres Gallery in Chelsea has opened its doors to the timely exhibition, Susan Grabel: Homeless in the Land of Plenty ~ Redux, clay sculptures. Grabel has a long tradition of social commentary in her work. Through it, she explores the social and political realities of modern society, and tries to evoke the complex web of feelings that these realities engender.
In the 1980s, while commuting to her job in Manhattan, she was confronted with the burgeoning population of homeless people on the streets. She then began a series of work on homelessness with the purpose of bringing the plight of these people to the forefront and showing their humanity.
“We usually ignore homeless people; we pass them by as if they were invisible. They represent the failures of our society and we don’t want to face them.”… Susan Grabel.
Using clay and wood in narrative sculptural environments, the artist captures the desolation, alienation, and humanity of homeless people. She tells their stories of living on the edge of society, serving as best they can on the streets. Through her work, she hopes to give them voice and agency.
First shown in 1989 at Prince Street Gallery, this poignant work is, unfortunately, also painfully relevant today.
Susan Grabel: Homeless in the Land of Plenty ~ Redux, Clay sculptures will be on view from February 3 through February 27, 2021 at Ceres Gallery 547 West 27th Street, Suite 201, NYC.