Sunday opening at Kehler Liddell Gallery in New Haven

Kehler Liddell Gallery
873 Whalley Ave., New Haven, (203) 389-9555
I…and Love…and You
Jan. 27—Mar. 6, 2011
Opening reception: Sun., Jan. 30, 3—6 p.m., with Artists’ Talk at 3 p.m.

Press release

Kehler Liddell Gallery is pleased to present I…and Love…and You, a group exhibition of paintings, photographs, sculpture and works on paper that examine the contemporary complexities of honest communication in exchanges related to love. Artists include: Joseph Adolphe, Edith Borax-Morrison, Amy Browning, Frank Bruckmann, Jason Buening, Susan Clinard, Rod Cook, Emilia Dubicki, Matthew Garrett, John Harris, Lisa Hesselgrave, Gigi Horr Liverant, Blinn Jacobs, Keith Johnson, Kristina Kuester-Witt, Lawrence Morelli, Hank Paper, Joseph Saccio, Gerald Saladyga, Deirdre Schiffer, Alan Shulik, Gar Waterman and Marjorie Wolfe.

The title of the exhibition references an indie-folk song by the Avett Brothers that tells the story of a man who cannot utter the simple phrase “I love you.” He is plagued by the radical differences between speaking and acting on feelings of love and hate. He fights with words, preferring verbal attacks to physical attacks, and loves with action, preferring courtship to intimate profession.

The show will illuminate the great love dysfunctions of our time, place and culture by addressing the quiet underpinnings of love and its converse aspects, such as: romance and sex, ambiguity and directness, polygamy and monogamy, naiveté and maturity, honesty and deceit, and madness and betrothal.

A selection of works will investigate the psychological dimensions of love that arise in Harold Pinter’s 1963 play, “The Lover.” The 50-minute play follows the erotic escapades of a long-married British couple that engage in an afternoon of fantasy role-playing. The husband makes 3 visits to his house as an illicit “lover,” assuming the role of a young park keep, an aggressive mugger and a kidnapper. The couple forces each other into and out of jealousy in a series of small actions that raise the drama to uncomfortable boiling points.

During the run of “I and Love and You”, Elm Shakespeare Company will perform eight nights of “The Lover.” The theatrical stage will occupy the center of the gallery, and seating will take place in the round, so that the set and audience will be surrounded by the works. In this setting, the play will act out themes expressed in the images: power struggles, verbal dominance, game playing, moving beyond reason, and falling out of love.

Performances will take place February 3—6 & 10—13; Thursday-Friday: 8 p.m.; Saturday: 8 and 10 p.m.; Sunday 4 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door. The Special Benefit Performance will take place on Friday, February 11, 6:30 p.m., $75 per ticket; hors d'oeuvres and wine will be served. Please visit the Elm Shakespeare Company Web site for tickets.