Forays and Follies Presents the Dark and Romantic World of Lauren Fensterstock

The dark and monolithic three-dimensional pieces in Lauren Fensterstock’s Forays and Follies are striking from a distance, but it is up close where the viewer can wonder in the refined detail of the artist’s creation. Forays and Follies highlights the elegance and visual seduction of Fensterstock's artificial worlds, and is the first solo exhibition of her work in Philadelphia.

Renowned for her monochromatic iterations of nature and gardens, Fensterstock employs sumptuously textured materials including meticulously crafted paper, shiny black plexi-glass, pulverized charcoal, and rubber-coated seashells. With these, the artist fashions flora and grottos evocative of the ornate garden traditions predating the 19th century, commingling the Baroque and Picturesque with the Modern and Contemporary.

Fensterstock describes a garden as a complete and enclosed world. Her artworks are inspired by this idea of a garden intertwined with the forms found in color-field painting and minimalism. Look for nods to art historical giants like Judd and Smithson, with a Victorian ladies’ craft twist. The work is at once opulent and subtle, grand and intricate.

Forays and Follies will be on display in the URBN Center Annex’s Leonard Pearlstein Gallery (3401 Filbert St.) of the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design from July 17 to August 28. The gallery is free and open to the public Wednesday through Sunday, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. The opening reception will take place on Friday, July 17 from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. with refreshments to be served outdoors in the yard, weather permitting.

Named one of the top nine trending artists at Basel Miami this year, Fensterstock's work is housed in collections across the globe. Her recent exhibitions include a solo show at the John Michael Kohler Art Center, The Contemporary Austin (formerly Arthouse- The Austin Museum of Art) and the San Francisco Museum of Craft and Design, among others.

The Leonard Pearlstein Gallery, part of Drexel University’s Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, is committed to exhibiting novel and experimental art in all contemporary mediums. Located in Westphal College’s URBN Annex, the Pearlstein Gallery has over 3,500 square feet of modern exhibition space and invites the public to visit free of charge. To learn more visit www.laurenfensterstock.com and www.drexel.edu/westphal/resources/leonardpearlsteingallery