Josiah Ellner and Qiuyu Wu: Night Glimmer

LATITUDE Gallery New York is pleased to present a two-person show, "Night Glimmer," featuring artists Josiah Ellner and Qiuyu Wu. Six paintings and one sound sculpture along with one ceramic sculpture will be showcased in our gallery space located in Chinatown, Manhattan.

In the enchanting realm of "Night Glimmer," the works of Josiah Ellner and Qiuyu Wu coalesce to craft a mesmerizing dialogue between the ethereal and the tangible. Josiah's oil paintings, bathed in entrancing dark hues, transport viewers into nocturnal landscapes, evoking profound connections between humanity and nature, while simultaneously hinting at the digital footprint of our age. This world, drenched in both whimsy and reflection, is complemented by Wu's tactile ceramic sculptures. Drawing inspiration from coral's organic undulations, Wu's creation resonates with auditory magic, as the dance of steel wires against ceramic evokes the rhythmic symphony of an underwater world. As one delves deeper into this collective experience, a dreamy land emerges, where the tactile and the visual, the auditory and the ethereal, all converse seamlessly. It's as if one is traversing a moonlit garden in a dream, where nature's whispers are amplified, and the boundaries between the real and the imagined are tantalizingly blurred.

Josiah Ellner presents six oil paintings. Their captivating dark color tones effectively craft a nighttime ambiance. Ellner's works portray moments of connection between humans and nature, all observed through the perspective of a digital native. They reveal stories that center on the intricate relationship between humanity and the environment. The artist adeptly captures instances that embody a sense of unity with nature, which in turn influences both the content and form of the artwork. The resulting expression carries a blend of whimsy, playfulness, and occasionally a hint of humor. Thus, the paintings feature figures and scenes that might initially appear ungainly but are imbued with lively patterns and a playful spirit.

Wu's ceramic sculpture, inspired by the organic contours of coral, invites viewers on a sensory journey of motion and sound. This piece encapsulates the dynamic interaction between the movement of steel wires and the auditory sensations triggered when they touch the ceramic form. The ceramic structure itself has finger-like extensions and tentacles reaching out in various directions, symbolizing vitality and a yearning to break free and ascend. Attached to a motor are two steel wires that rotate gently, tracing unseen spirals and occasionally swaying in a metronome-like rhythm. As these mechanized rods dangle from above, they sporadically make contact with the ceramic extensions, creating a series of hollow, enchanting sounds.

Set against the backdrop of oil paintings rich in natural allure set in a nocturnal ambiance, these delicate sounds echo like scattered fireworks, intermittently illuminating the evening. This juxtaposition provides a serene yet dynamic visual and auditory experience, aptly reflecting the crisp ambience of a New York autumn evening.

Josiah Ellner (b. 1996) is a Chicago-based artist with a Master of Fine Arts in painting and drawing from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He also holds a BFA in painting from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, earned in 2019. Although born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Ellner spent significant years of his childhood in Xi’an, China, a bustling city with limited green spaces. This urban upbringing kindled a sense of alienation from nature, yet paradoxically, also an intrinsic draw towards it. Drawing from his personal moments of rediscovery and engagement with the natural world, Ellner crafts narratives infused with whimsy, intimacy, and a touch of the spiritual. His work uses abstraction to amplify the complex, sometimes awkward, but always profound interactions he shares with nature.

Qiuyu Wu (b. 1998) is a Chinese Canadian artist currently based in Brooklyn. Wu holds a BFA from Maryland Institute College of Art. Wu has delved into creating large-scale ceramic installations to explore the relationship between humans and societal systems. Her work creates a dialogue that dissects power structures, examines how power manifests, and seeks to understand how individuals are molded by society.