Fleshy Fruit
For Immediate Release
RANDOM ACCESS GALLERY
Syracuse University
Smith Hall Room 117
University Place
Syracuse, NY
FLESHY FRUIT
Work from Krista LaBella
September 28th-Oct 5th
Opening Reception: Friday September 28th, 5-8pm
Random Access is pleased to present Fleshy Fruit, a solo exhibition of photographic self portraits by Krista LaBella. Fleshy Fruit consists of digital and instant photographs of the artist’s nude buxom body from her I am Venus series and her new project Pearl Necklace and Other Objects. Channeling classical painting, porn culture, fertility figures, and fat fetishism, LaBella challenges traditional beauty ideals while exploring themes of control, desire and eroticism.
Ranging from contemporary odalisque selfies where she flaunts glitter stilettos to close-range snapshots of her pendulous breasts draped in pearls or covered in food, the artist objectifies herself on her terms-she is the confident authority of her own image. LaBella embraces the voluminous nude, indulgence, and sexuality through the use of her body as sculpture and as a canvas for sexually playful still life set-ups.
Krista LaBella received her BFA from Hartford Art School in 2010 and her MFA from Pratt Institute in 2014. She has been interviewed on Art Uncovered with Kimberly Ruth and is the recipient of an Upstart Award from the online women’s magazine Bustle, where she was recognized as an emerging female artist. Krista’s work was recently on display at the Attleboro Arts Museum where juror Alex Castro wrote, “Instead of reinforcing oppressive bodily standards, the artist compels us to recognize her majesty, and all within a setting that looks as casual as it does art-historical. Titian’s Venus never seemed this fierce." LaBella has been an artist in residence at the Vermont Studio Center in Johnson, VT. She lives and maintains a studio in Brooklyn, NY.
Random Access Gallery’s exhibitions, performances, artist talks, and panel discussions offer a space for broadening the scope of interdisciplinary collaboration and experimentation in contemporary creative practices. Through dynamic curatorial initiatives and inclusivity, Random Access Gallery brings together local, national, and international artists for critical conversations. Random Access is located in the historic Smith Hall in Syracuse, New York and is funded through the generous contributions of Syracuse University's School of Art and CASP.
kristalabella.com
instagram: @artistkristalabella
krista@kristalabella.com