CATSKILL NY.- For the gallery’s initial presentation in the Hudson Valley, Abattoir is exhibiting paintings by Caitlin MacBride and sculptures by Dominic Palarchio, two artists whose work is shaped significantly by their experience and research around labor and craft. Palarchio’s practice applies metonymy to locate where hardship lies, reminding us of economy and place–and the inevitability of our relationship with them. His work emanates from Detroit’s post-industrial condition; many of his sculptures rely on classed sources to replicate the tangible and affective efforts that define their utility. Palarchio is interested in how objects—imbued with evidence of prior ownership— evoke working conditions as inhospitable systems that negatively shape lives lived beyond the workplace.

MacBride studies the handmade objects and histories of the Shaker communities in the Northeast, sects which held work and workmanship sacred to their religious worship. The parity of the sexes and independence of women featured prominently in the Shaker belief system. MacBride’s oil paintings on panel and canvas examine these histories in works that vibrate with mystery and literary intelligence.

Palarchio and MacBride have both exhibited with Abattoir in the past; Palarchio as part of this summer’s FRONT International in Cleveland: MacBride at the gallery’s NADA Miami presentation last winter.

FORELAND is a new contemporary arts campus conceived by and for artists. Situated 100 miles north of New York City at the base of the Catskill Mountains and comprising three thoughtfully-renovated historic factory buildings, the 85,000 square foot development provides beautiful, architecturally- considered studio and exhibition spaces, a cooperative workspace, food and beverage programs, private event rentals, and more. Foreland employs a singular model centered on the needs of artists, art dealers, and practitioners of various kinds, in order to create an ecosystem that is economically stable as it is aesthetically considered. In addition, Foreland produces its own robust program of exhibitions and special events that engage the broader public by hosting and collaborating with internationally- renowned partners, artists, and institutions.