ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
‘The End’ of a beautiful exhibit
Life and death in Montauk captured at UES gallery
“Heaven’s Gate” by James Katsipis
BY OLIVER PETERSON
James Katsipis, one of the
East End’s fi nest photographers,
and a man
known for documenting Montauk
from its most splendorous
to its roughest edges, is exhibiting
a selection of his powerful
pictures in The End at the
Upper East Side’s Redu Studios.
The End is Katsipis’s fi rst solo
show in NYC, and it will run
through March 23.
Comprising fi ve large, acrylicmounted
prints and 12 framed
C-prints, the exhibition offers
viewers a look at images from the
artist’s various series, including
colorful, painterly abstractions
of the ocean using a slow shutter
speed, called Blurz; his sensual,
black and white Mermaids
of Montauk; and, of course, his
local Landscapes series, which
seems to squeeze every drop of
beauty out of each captured moment
and puts them on display.
“The concept at the root of
the works featured in The End
is the near-death experience,”
Katsipis’s statement about the
exhibition explains, pointing out
that he and the Grim Reaper
have crossed paths a number of
times throughout his life. The
photographer adds that he’s also
pulled others back from the proverbial
ledge, saving them from
an untimely demise. “These experiences
have made a profound
impact on his life and on his
work over the years, culminating
in this collection,” the artist’s
statement continues.
“Nothing makes you think
about your own mortality more
than being held under water by
a giant wave for long period of
time,” Katsipis, an avid surfer,
concludes.
This connection between Katsipis
nearly dying and the photographs
on view seems rather ambiguous,
but his artistic eye and
the quality of his work could not
be more clear. Carve through
the esoteric talk of death, and
one thing is for sure — Katsipis
knows Montauk well, and his
passion for the hamlet runs as
deep as the sea that surrounds it.
While his photos represent a diversity
of style and approach, all
of them shout proclamations of
love and affection for his hometown
and muse.
That said, Montauk’s most
popular sobriquet, The End, is a
perfect title for a show informed
by death and life on Long Island’s
easternmost point.
PROVIDED
And maybe the greatest death
of all is that of Montauk itself.
Anyone who’s spent a lifetime
here has seen the The End
change from a quiet fi shing town
dotted with modest homes, to a
hot tourist destination with $20
million mansions and trendy
NYC pop-up shops, and Katsipis
has done what he can to chronicle
that which he’s lost.
Check out The End at Redu
Studios in Manhattan (1285
Second Avenue between 67th
and 68th streets) through
Wednesday, March 23.
Learn more at redunyc.com
or jameskatsipis.com.
Upsilon Gallery opens new
location on the Upper East Side
BY MYRIAN GARCIA
Upsilon Gallery is hosting
an art exhibition specializing
in postwar and
contemporary art in their new
location on the Upper East Side
from Friday, Feb. 25 to April 16.
This event will present the
inaugural exhibition “Kaleidoscope”
by the Italian-American
artist Osvaldo Mariscotti. By
examining “nonreality,” Mariscotti
breaks it down into geometric
shapes to arrive at a new
code that results in the art he
produces.
The Director of the Upsilon
Gallery, Marcelo Zimmler, has
been hosting successful exhibitions
throughout the years to
rediscover overlooked accomplishing
artists. This gallery
encourages different interpretations
through learning and experiencing
art through a unique
and dynamic lens. Since the gallery
is located in the Upper East
Side, Zimmler wanted to create
a space that provided artwork
displayed in an approachable
and friendly manner.
Specifi c works will be showcased
throughout the show,
including Origins from 2020;
Firenze from 2021; Spar from
2021; Infi nity from 2014 and
Melody from 2016-2018.
“Our vision for this new fl agship
gallery in the Upper East
Side is to create an outstanding
and unique home for our artists
and our team and a vibrant cultural
destination in the heart of
NYC,” said Zimmler.
Upsilon Gallery is located at
23 East 67th St., New York, NY
10065. If you are interested in
attending this exhibition, visit
www.upsilongallery.com for
more information.
PHOTO COURTESY OF UPSILON GALLERY
The Upsilon Gallery is now open on the Upper East Side,.
Schneps Media February 24, 2022 23
/jameskatsipis.com
/redunyc.com
/www.upsilongallery.com
/www.upsilongallery.com
