This rare solo exhibition, After the Storm, featuring the work of local artist Kristen DeFontes opened to the public on January 25 and is on display through April 30, 2020 in the CREATE’s Catskill Gallery, 398 Main Street in Catskill, NY.
On August 28, 2011, Hurricane Irene swept into the rivers of Schoharie County, which flooded the region and left behind a trail of damage in its wake. Nine years later, Schoharie County-based artist Kristen DeFontes has curated a selection of objects that explore the immense effect of the extreme flooding that she witnessed personally and in her community. Using construction debris, stone, natural wood and cast bronze elements, DeFontes creates sculptures that consider the effects of not only the storm, but also personal familial conflicts and broader environmental issues. Many of these materials are salvaged from her own home, which was gravely affected by Hurricane Irene. DeFontes says of her work, “These sculptural pieces embody emotional responses and coping mechanisms. Composed using construction debris, the pieces hold power; not only in the symbolic sense, but in the way they provide a tangible link between past and present. When working on these pieces, I think about the loss and transfer of that power, and the primal need to protect it.”
Kristen DeFontes grew up on Long Island, NY and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the School of Art + Design at Purchase College where she concentrated in printmaking and sculpture. While earning her undergraduate degree, Kristen worked in exhibitions at the Neuberger Museum of Art. She earned a Master of Arts from Brooklyn College where she studied drawing under Elizabeth Murray and continued her studies in printmaking, drawing and sculpture. In 2005, Kristen moved to the Capital Region of New York and began teaching art at Voorheesville CSD. In 2007, she and husband Michael Wells started WellSculpt Foundry, a bronze sculpture casting company. The two are raising their eight-year-old daughter together. Kristen’s work is in several private collections; she currently lives and works in Schoharie County, NY.
Marline A. Martin, Curator of the exhibition and Director of CREATE, says about the exhibition, “I am happy to present DeFontes’ work at CREATE this season. The exhibition is a surprising collection of works that challenge viewers to consider a Hurricane that greatly affected the region and how to heal from it.”
Selected works are available for purchase by or calling 518-943-3400 or visiting the Catskill Gallery, 398 Main Street, Catskill NY. Shipping arrangements may be made and are set at an additional fee.
Storm Window, Kristen DeFontes, 2016 NFS
(21’’ x 35’’ x 5’’)
wood, glass, nails, screws, paint
Harvest, Kristen DeFontes, 2015, NFS
(50.5’’ x 65.5’’ x 7.5”)
wood, steel
Vestige, Kristen DeFontes, 2015, $4200.00
(42’’ x 46.5’’ x 7’’)
wood, rope, steel, stone
Palisade, Kristen DeFontes, 2015, $4500.00
(31’’ x 50.5’’ x 2.5)
wood, steel
Cache, Kristen DeFontes, 2016, $3500.00
(17’’ x 22.5’’ x 6.5)
wood, steel, nails
Storm Window no. 3, Kristen DeFontes, 2018
$4500.00
Wood, glass, steel
Nesting Behavior, Kristen DeFontes, 2017, $3800.00
(7’’x 21’’ x 3’’)
wood, steel, nails, bronze
Fountainhead, Kristen DeFontes, 2017, $8500.00
(78” x 18” x 26”)
wood, bronze, stone
Portrait, Grand Street, Kristen DeFontes, 2017, NFS
(53” x 5.5” x 5”)
wood, bronze, stone, nails
Breadbasket, Kristen DeFontes, 2016, $8500.00
(29’’ x 77’’ x 6’’)
wood, steel, concrete, bronze
Storm Window, no. 2, Kristen DeFontes, 2018, $4500.00
(39” x 43” x 5”)
wood, steel, glass
MotherBoard, Kristen DeFontes, 2018, $2400.00
Wood, aluminum, copper, oil paint, steel, ceramic
Study for a stone, Kristen DeFontes, 2018, $2200.00
Oil paint, wood
Under my control, I want my fears no. 3, Kristen DeFontes, 2018
$1200.00
Wood, aluminum, oil paint, copper, wax, ink
Under my control, I want my fears, Kristen DeFontes, 2018- $1200.00
Wood, aluminum, oil paint, ink, nails
Open Ground, Kristen DeFontes, 2017, $1800.00 – SOLD
Wood, steel, copper
Reflex, Kristen DeFontes, 2018-19, $3500.00
Wood, steel, canvas, oil paint
Wave Frequency no. 2, Kristen DeFontes, 2019
$2800.00
Wood, oil paint, stone
Shore Up no. 2, Kristen DeFontes, 2019-
$3200.00
Wood, oil paint, bronze, stone
Wave Frequency, Kristen DeFontes
2019-
$2800.00
Wood, oil paint, stone
Untitled, stone structure, Kristen DeFontes, 2019
$3800.00
wood, oil paint, bronze
Hitch, Kristen DeFontes, 2019
$1800.00
Wood, stone, oil paint, ceramic, copper, charcoal
Stay, Kristen DeFontes, 2019-
$2400.00
Wood, charcoal, oil paint, wax, steel, copper
Beyond the absence of luxe, Kristen DeFontes, 2019-
$1200.00
Wood, aluminum, oil paint
With Two, Kristen DeFontes, 2019
$850.00
Wood, aluminum, copper, ceramic
Hush Up, Kristen DeFontes, 2019
$1500.00
Wood, aluminum, oil paint, copper, sand, wax
Night Beach, Kristen DeFontes, 2018-
$1800.00
Wood, wax, charcoal, oil paint
Shore Up, Kristen DeFontes, 2018
$1800.00- SOLD
Wood, stone, ink, oil paint
Aluminum, steel
Works may be purchased by calling CREATE at 518-943-3400 and /or email gcca@greenearts.org. For more information about After the Storm or the Catskill Gallery Program as well as all other programs and services, visit www.greenearts.org.