Signs form a language, but not the one you think you know. ― Italo Calvino, Invisible Cities
My work serves as a dialogue between overwhelming urban development and the tenacity of nature. Through my paintings and drawings, I consider the often-overlooked pockets of life that persist amidst concrete, steel, and desolate terrains. These spaces of nature are potent metaphors for resilience, illustrating how plant life adapts and flourishes despite harsh conditions and human intervention. My background in typography and design deeply informs my approach. Rather than creating literal representations, I distill complex forms into abstract topographies using repeating lines and marks referencing botanical structures. My meditative and spontaneous process stems from an ongoing engagement in world and modern dance, where I experiment with movement and improvisation to stay open to change. This influence manifests in my mark-making's gestural and rhythmic quality; I transverse the picture plane, allowing each decision to determine the next and letting the composition change and emerge organically. My palette is carefully crafted through hand-mixed colors that evoke the ethereal beauty of transitional moments—the soft glow of pre-dawn light and the shifting hues of dusk. Through my paintings and drawings, I aim to create spaces for contemplation for myself and others, inviting the viewers to pause and find resonance in often overlooked details.
BIO
Abby Goldstein was born in Chicago Illinois, she received a BFA from Pratt Institute, NY, and an MFA from the School of Visual Arts, NY. Abby is based in Brooklyn and holds the position of Professor of Practice and heads the Graphic Design area of study at Fordham University, NY. Recent exhibitions include GarveySimon Selections 2024, Transmitter Gallery, McKenzie Fine Art, Metaphor Art Projects, and Kentler International Art Space. She has received fellowships to the Sam and Adele Golden Foundation, Hambidge Center for Creative Arts & Science, Saltonstall Foundation for the Arts, Vermont Studio Center, Virginia Center for Creative Arts, Willapa Bay Artist fellowship, and Yaddo. Public commissions and curatorial work include Gateway Center in East New York, Manhattan Bridge Bicycle Path, and the NYC Street Design Manual exhibition at the Ildiko Butler Gallery, Fordham University, NY. She has been a TDC International Design Organization board member and co-chair of their annual competition. Ms. Goldstein has received numerous awards for her design work and has collaborated on several books, including Noisy Autumn: Sculpture and Works on Paper by Christy Rupp, Year By Year Poems by Lynne Sachs; "Revival Type" with Paul Shaw, and is the co-designer of the award-winning book, "Helvetica and the New York City Subway System."