The downtown Brooklyn gallery, Metaphor Contemporary Art had its final show in March 2010. The owners, Rene Lynch and Julian Jackson, have been wearing two hats since the gallery space opened in October 2001—both artist and dealer/curator. After almost a decade of the balancing act of “being both” they have decided to dissolve the physical gallery dimension of Metaphor.
Dissolve is the right word. The gallery is part of the husband and wife team’s studio and home on the 11th floor of the 382 Atlantic Avenue location.
Over 80 exhibitions have been mounted in the space, many of them emerging artists or underrepresented mid-career artists. Their curatorial style, with an artists eye, was noticed by artists and critics. Group shows with interesting curatorial titles like “Slippery When Wet” (2009), “Back to the Garden” (2008), and “Mischief” (2006), were interspersed with solo shows by Mary Ting, Mia Brownell, Lindsay Walt, Ryan Mrzozwski, and more. An especially notable show was “Ward Jackson: A Life In Painting 1928-2004” curated by Julian Jackson, nephew of the late artist, in 2007.
The couple plans to redirect their energies toward their studio practice and an increasingly busy individual exhibition schedule. They both have upcoming solo shows in Germany. They plan to continue their curatorial practice on a project basis, and have already received an overwhelming number of requests, according to Lynch. 04/01/10
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