Artist Linda Colletta and Curator Indira Cesarine at Linda Colletta Scratch and Sniff Solo Show Opening Reception, The Untitled Space, July 9th, Photography by Jeffrey Gossman
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On July 9, The Untitled Space opened “Scratch & Sniff,” a solo exhibition of artwork by Connecticut-based artist Linda Colletta. The packed reception marked Colletta’s debut solo show in New York City, and the exhibit — curated by UNTITLED’s Indira Cesarine — will be on view at the Tribeca gallery through July 20. Despite the heat wave, the gallery was overflowing with art lovers and enthusiasts who enjoyed chilled white wine while appreciating Colletta’s innovative and interactive collection.
Colletta’s first show with The Untitled Space, “Scratch & Sniff” features a selection of deconstructed and woven paintings. The paintings explore themes of duality, inclusion, as well as order and chaos. The energy in the gallery was just as playful, as the audience placed scratch-and-sniff stickers next to their favorite art pieces to echo “likes” on social media, creating a fully immersive experience the crowd couldn’t stop talking about.
Colletta’s art repeatedly relies on the grid as a framework for dynamics that push the dimensional and tactile nature of painting. There is a juxtaposition of the movement her paintings embody and the system of elegance and precision Colletta shapes them with, eliciting a tension that pulls between poetry and punk rock.
In her work, Colletta touches on contrasting themes of silence and noise, action and contemplation.
In her artist statement, Colletta revealed:
“My process is a direct reflection of my personal desire to alchemize hardships into heroism … I continuously push the scale of my work as a show of force and physicality. I use this expansiveness as an access point into overlooked micro-moments which reveal a cyclical history of creation and deconstruction that I witness and experience throughout the terrain of my life. My choice of color comes from an intuitive and emotional place and explores the dichotomy between danger and liberation.”
With a background in scenic painting, prop mastery, and production design, it is no wonder Colletta’s art exhibits a refined understanding of color, form, and texture. After an almost twenty-year break from creating art after the death of her father in 1992 and her departure from the Parsons School of Design, Colletta has devoted herself entirely to her art and is now celebrated as a contemporary abstract artist. She is recognized for her inventive integration of abstract expressionism, fiber arts, and sculpture, and her work can be found in the private collections of Google, Chelsea, New York; Memorial Sloan Kettering, New York; and Justin Bieber, California. Previously, Colletta’s exhibitions have included solo shows at J. Mackey Gallery, New York (2024); Moberg Gallery, Iowa (2024); The White Room Gallery, New York (2021); and Southport Galleries, Connecticut (2020). Additionally, her work has been featured in contemporary art fairs including the London Art Fair, London (2023) and the LA Art Show, Lose Angeles (2022).
Photos by Jeffrey Grossman and Ryan Chen for The Untitled Magazine
