Hannah Cole, Slag Gallery, New York

Hannah Cole: One Strategy for Loving the World 
Slag Contemporary Gallery, New York 
Through January 11, 2014 

Slag Contemporary Gallery presents ONE STRATEGY FOR LOVING THE WORLD a solo show featuring works by Brooklyn based artist, HANNAH COLE. The title is from a poem by Mona van Duyn, the first female poet laureate of the US. Mona van Duyn met Hannah Cole a few times as a small child and soon grew fond of the little girl who was obsessed with naming every shade of every color. Cole is deeply connected to her as an artist, both their work in general being about finding beauty and positivity in every day life, despite life's cruelties, and a lot about care, love, repetition and the passage of time. Hannah Cole has grown to have a strong affinity with her body of work and pursue a similar kind of magic-in-the-mundane.

Critic Cate McQuaid describes Hannah Cole as " a painter with a sharp visual curiosity and a perfectionist’s dedication to technique."

"My paintings stem from my daily life experiences, such as my walk to the studio each morning, or picking up my daughter’s toys at night. I compose tight abstractions from glimpsed fragments of the city that normally go unnoticed, reframing familiar sights so that they transform into objects of significance, sometimes of spirituality. A cement sidewalk becomes a window, for example, and a manhole cover becomes a mandala. For me, painting is a devotional act. I translate the stray marks and fleeting glances with care and precision, transforming them into something extraordinary. The time and patience I put into this work are my act of generosity towards the viewer."

HANNAH COLE holds a MFA in painting from Boston University, Boston, MA, a Post-Baccalaureate degree in painting from Brandeis University, and a BA in Art History from 
Yale University. Cole’s first museum solo show "Time's Wife", curated by George Kinghorn will open in January 2014 at the University of Maine Museum of Art. Also, her work was exhibited this year at the Hickory Museum of Art, North Carolina. Hannah Cole's previous solo exhibitions include: AAA: Hannah Cole, Maria Stabio, Kaitlin McDonough, Galleria Atlantica, Vicenza, Italy (2012), Two Way Street, Slag Gallery, New York “Mantle”, (2010) Steven Zevitas Gallery, Boston, 
”I Move to Keep Things Whole”,(2010) Laconia Gallery, curated by James Hull, Boston, “Instant Sublime”, (2009) Greene Contemporary, New York, 
”Wish You Were Here”, (2008) former Lebanon Pavilion, Venice, New Paintings, (2006) Alpha Gallery, Boston. Hannah Cole’s most recent group shows include: Red Left, Blue Right, Greyduck Gallery, Austin, Art Verona, courtesy Galleria Atlantica, Vicenza, Interventions, Artspace, New Haven, Red Left, Blue Right, Picture Farm, New York, Oxheart, Gowanus Ballroom, Brooklyn, Chain Letter, Sampson Projects, Boston.

Slag Contemporary specializes in contemporary art and is operated by owner and director Irina Protopopescu.

Slag Contemporary 
56 Bogart Street, Brooklyn, NY 11237
www.slaggallery.com