Rick Wester Fine Art to feature Jeff Mermelstein: [i]Twirl / Run[/i]

Written by Sarah Stout Wednesday, 04 November 2009 21:00

New York, NY – Rick Wester Fine Art, Inc. (RWFA) is pleased to present Jeff Mermelstein’s first one-person exhibition in New York in three years, Twirl / Run. Comprised of selections from two related projects, Twirl / Run further extends the artist’s exploration of the streets of New York in all its random, chaotic organization. On exhibition November 12 through January 16, 2010.

Mermelstein sees New York not from the comfort of an office or as a city of interiors, but rather as an organism of millions, all the parts of which intersect in a classic Rube Goldbergian contraption. The pictures shown illustrate two generic, ubiquitous, nearly involuntary gestures: mostly young women mindlessly twirling their hair as well as the citizens of this hyperactive city – mostly men – running in the street.

Mermelstein, a quintessential New Yorker, photographs his hometown and its quirky inhabitants with the eye of a dedicated uncle or an insightful sociologist, schooled in the universities of Garry Winogrand, André Kértész, Robert Frank and Joel Meyerowitz. The genesis of Twirl / Run is simple. It was borne from the periodic review and reorganization of the photographer’s archive of images – a typical exercise for any prolific photographer.

Scouring through thousands of negatives, Mermelstein began to see a pattern forming where unconsciously he had been photographing these two gestures for years, beginning in 1995. The power of these pictures, like a good film, is that once entrenched in them, it is impossible not to identify with the characters or see the world in any other way. Prints from Twirl / Run will be made available in small editions, 12 x 16 inch mounted and framed archival chromogenic prints in editions of 7.

This exhibition coincides with and highlights work included in Mermelstein’s most recent book of the same name published by powerHouse, with an essay by Robin Hemley. RWFA will host the book’s premiere book signing on November 14, 2009 from 2-5pm.

The exhibition opens on November 12 and runs through January 16, 2010. Gallery hours are Tuesday – Friday, 10-6pm, and Saturday, 11 – 6pm. For further information and images, please contact Sarah Stout at +1 (917) 348-8485 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

RICK WESTER FINE ART, INC. 511 West 25 th Street, Ste. 205 New York, NY 10001 tel 917.348.8485 fax 914.479.0383 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it / Visit : www.rickwesterfineart.com