'Navigation' by Claudia DeMonte

For Navigation, Claudia DeMonte’s new show at The June Kelly Gallery in Soho, the artist unveils a collection of paintings and sculptures that mine the story of her own life and take on the societal and cultural roles of women throughout centuries and their 

response to those roles on psychological and emotional levels.

One notable work in the show entitled Felucca Dreams, depicts a group of women and girls portrayed elegantly in gold leaf medium standing on a blue, wooden vessel sailing on a river depicted by green waves. The piece is a metaphor for women seeking to move forward in their lives and advance in their gender roles.

Felucca's Dreams (2020) by Claudia DeMonte

Another intriguing piece with a sea theme, Memories Lamanja, features a mermaid 

lying on her belly as though swimming. Her entire back doubly serves as a bag of 

luggage containing smaller bags of goods and also souvenirs of iconic landmarks like 

the Eiffel Tower and precious keepsakes like her childhood teddy bear.

DeMonte also includes two bronze figures of women balancing themselves on a skateboard with one wearing a blue dress and the other, a red dress. The figure, Skateboard Blue and Skateboard Red, are perhaps a commentary on today’s starkly divided political climate, but is also indicative of a strong woman traveling, carefully balancing on a skateboard while wearing sturdy shoes.

 Some of the other works in the show are more enigmatic like Pull Toy: 

Handbag and Pull Toy: Shoe. These works depict women’s accessories equipped with 

wooden wheels such as those you might see on a children’s toy that somehow relate to 

the notion of navigating the turbulent socio-economic tiers of this current coronavirus 

pandemic.

DeMonte lives and works in New York City and Miami Beach, FL.  She received a bachelor's degree from College of Notre Dame of Maryland in Baltimore and an MFA from Catholic University of America, Washington, DC. DeMonte's work has been shown in numerous solo and group exhibitions nationally and internationally.

At the June Kelly Gallery, 166 Mercer Street, through Nov. 17th. The gallery is open Tue.—Fri. 11 a.m.—6 p.m. Please visit the gallery website for Covid-19 guidelines.