Pieces from Abraham Ferraro’s “Directions” exhibition
Jamestown Community College’s Weeks Gallery will present “Directions,” a solo exhibition of works by artist Abraham Ferraro that opens Friday, January 30.
An opening reception and artist talk will be held at 5:30 p.m. in the Weeks Gallery, located on the second floor of the Jamestown Campus Sheldon Center. Ferraro will lead an artist walkthrough and talk at 6:00 p.m., discussing the evolution of “Directions” and his broader artistic practice. Light refreshments and hors d’oeuvres will be served.
“Directions” is a growing series of mail-able sculptures that Ferraro began in 2011. Each piece incorporates mailing addresses, postage, shipping labels, and installation instructions as integral visual elements. Works are exhibited as they arrive by mail and assembled on-site in response to the architecture of the gallery, creating a site-specific installation unique to each venue.
With each new exhibition, Ferraro adds five to 10 newly created pieces that are mailed individually to the host gallery, while earlier works are transported by the artist. The process allows viewers to trace the physical journey of the artwork and, in many cases, identify when and where individual pieces traveled. The exhibition includes more than 200 works created over 14 years.
Ferraro describes his work as both autobiographical and universal, reflecting the challenges, processes, and conventions artists encounter in making art. Humor, irony, and sarcasm are recurring elements in his practice, which seeks to depict, critique, and challenge traditional notions of artmaking.
Ferraro is a graduate of SUNY Fredonia, where he earned a BFA, and SUNY Albany, where he completed an MA and MFA. His work has been exhibited internationally and nationally, with 28 solo performances and exhibitions at museums and galleries including Artists Space in New York City, Rochester Contemporary Art Center, and The Gallery at Penn College in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
Ferraro’s art is held in public and institutional collections, including WorkingArtist.org in Washington, the Albany Institute of History & Art, and Washington & Jefferson College in Pennsylvania, and has been featured in numerous publications and media outlets.
Visit sunyjcc.edu/Galleries for more information.
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