OPENING RECEPTION: 1st THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5th FROM 5-8pm
Sullivan Goss is pleased to present an exhibition geared for the eclectic collector of today – one whose collection forms a highly-personalized collage of different styles, periods, and media. The meaning, you might say, is up to the mixologist. Dealers will sometimes call these “collections of the eye,” and they are differentiated from other collections that are grounded in some particular focus, theme, or period.
The art of mixology – whether behind the bar or before a pair of turntables – lies in the ability to combine things in such a way that they both compliment and contrast each other to positive effect. In crafting cocktails, bartenders must manage saltiness, sweetness, sourness, and bitterness. DJs deal in rhythms and arrangements, seeking to manage the emotional effects of how two or more songs interact.
In visual art, these combinations involve a similar complexity. In this show, ten groups are assembled with ten cocktails in mind. To compliment the theme, the kind and talented folks at THE GOOD LION will be pouring cocktails at the opening at a no-host bar.
The Negroni: A classical drink best drunk ice cold under a hot sun before a big meal. Think of a piazza in Florence, Milan, or Rome. Works by: Eugene Berman, Colin Campbell Cooper, William Dole, Jules Engel, Frank Kirk, Ken Nack, and John Nava.
The Manhattan: A strong and enervating mix for the worldly and weary. Think of the dim lights and sateen booths at the Campbell Bar at the Grand Central Terminal. Works by: Lockwood de Forest, William Dole, Sidney Gordin, Bradford Salamon, and Sueo Serisawa.
The Boiler Maker: A shot and a beer for the working man. Think of a jukebox that still plays records, a bartender who knows boxing inside and out, and maybe even peanut shells on the floor. Works by: Patricia Chidlaw, John Davies, Betty Lane, and Jean Swiggett.
The Cosmopolitan: For all intents and purposes, it's a pink martini – which is to say a well-built drink often consumed by women whose display of femininity or playfulness camouflages their true strength. Try not to think of Sex and the City. Works by: Sidney Gordin, John Nava, Maria Rendòn, and Nicole Strasburg.
The Gin & Tonic: An apparently clear, apparently light imbibe whose danger lies in its drinkability. Think of preprandial drinks overlooking the ninth hole in which one of your party shares something that blurs the line between delicious gossip and the other kind. Works by: Betty Lane and Hank Pitcher.
The Dark & Stormy: Take a Moscow Mule, substitute dark rum for the vodka, and you get something tropical to help you weather the storm. If the best part of your day sailing was limping back in to port, there is consolation to be had. Works by: Lockwood de Forest and Chris Peters.
The Mai Tai: Just because it has a friendly color and a fruit garnish doesn’t mean you should trust its intentions. Try not to think of the luau where a perfect stranger overshared about their trip, their spouse, and their feelings about the N.F.L.’s instant replay rule. Works by: Anya Fisher, Joseph Goldyne, Harvey Leepa, Angela Perko, and Jean Swiggett.
The Cuba Libre: A beguilingly sweet refreshment that’s perfect for celebrating either liberty or a warm breeze, whichever seems more imminent. Picture yourself in a straw fedora by an old stone wall that will almost certainly hold for one more afternoon. Works by Colin Campbell Cooper, Jon Francis, and Frederick Pawla.
The Sazerac: Cultured, decadent, and a little bit mysterious, the French-infused Sazerac has gotten itself a bit of a reputation. Think of a humid afternoon among the demimonde of New Orleans and what visions may appear. Works by: Leon Dabo, Theodore Scott Dabo, Richard Haines, Nell Brooker Mayhew, Angela Perko, and Leslie Lewis Sigler.
The Martini: A subtle, elegant, and lethal imbibe whose whispers for restraint are not always heard over spirited conversation. Think of two editors arguing literature in the corner of an upper East Side bar. Works by: Ken Bortolazzo, Sidney Gordin, and Susan McDonnell.
Come to the opening. Explore, acquire, network, and celebrate!
