Walking into Dimin gallery on a humid summer day, Blizzard, the exhibition currently on view, envelops you with a welcoming dynamic, though like a winter storm, often all-encompassing, bitter, and fierce. Despite these negative associations coinciding with the theme of blizzard , there is a sense of peace and serenity while observing a storm safely. As long as you are observing from a safe distance, both the winter season and its storms can offer great solace and opportunities for contemplation. Similar to the work in this show, we are welcomed to dive into the environments of the works and take note of what themes are driving the artists. Given our growing concerns over climate change, global warming, and changes in the environment, this exhibition is very timely; especially ecologically, this show calls for attention. These artists certainly show how a snow day can slow time and force us to have more respect for the unyielding natural world.
The theme of the exhibition Blizzard comes on the heels of Robert Dimin’s trip to Eqi Glacier in Greenland. This journey highlights a drive for exploration, discovery, and care, all of which this show embodies. While the mediums and messages of the works vary, the focus and foundations remain the same- a sense of place, a greater sense of the world, and the wonder and endurance of nature itself. Landscape and its surreal beauty are the first layer of this exhibition that drew me in, enticing me to traverse through the trees and the reflections off the waters in Deborah Wasserman’s paintings. Misty, magical, and full of depth, her works draw us in; no matter the size of the canvas, her energetic strokes capture our gaze and allow us to explore the layers of the painting that intertwine and hover over each other.
The works of Sarah Anderson and Ohan Breiding hone in on both the beauty of nature and portray the efforts by which humans are going through to fight for its continued survival in an ever-changing landscape. Their works foreground some of the larger questions of climate change that winter tends to prompt every year- whether it be too short or too warm later in the season, or sometimes winter tears through, bringing record temperature lows, large quantities of snow halting everything briefly. Anderson’s stoic iceberg works capture both the beauty and massive presence of the structures. Toeing the line between a known subject and something peacefully abstract, Anderson masters a glowing blue, one that lets the stark white of the canvas glow from underneath. These massive, floating mountains display both strength and vulnerability- as we realize the gigantic icebergs are facing slow destruction and limited time. The peace and serenity of these scenes now carry with them a sense of urgency that carries into the conversation with Breiding’s captivating photography. The image on the other side of the room captures the efforts of the residents of Obergoms, Switzerland, who drape the nearby Rhône Glacier with thermal blankets to insulate it from rising temperatures. The image captures a moment suspended between effort, action, and something sadly inevitable. The drapery from the blankets mimics the forms of icebergs, suspended in a constant falling motion, yet never fully reaching the ground water or anywhere else- the blankets are shown partly sliding off, but also still, hanging on. Hoping for change. Despite these hopeful actions of ecological care by the residents, the glacier is predicted to vanish by 2050.
Alongside the urgency, the show is nostalgic as well, giving us a sense of both place and memories. Memories begin to emerge from the snowball pile in the piece titled Soft Sculpture, by Elena Redmond, as I remember the times my friends and I prepared snowballs for an ensuing epic snowball fight. In showing the neatly arranged pile of snowballs in the piece, time seems to be standing still. Here, action is waiting to be taken, as a snowball fight has yet to begin- we are merely preparing for it, as the painting carries a glowing chill within it. The works of Brett Stano depict scenes from around the city with bright paintings that bring forth a sense of joy- the excitement for an upcoming snow day, or a quiet walk through the empty streets as the snow falls. It covers cars in places I’ve passed numerous times, but never stopped to look because I was too cold or determined to get somewhere else. On another note, the ceramics of Lauren Cohen bring in a sense of holiday cheer and joy. Her mackerel piece titled Bow reminds me of ornaments that we would uncover from the attic to decorate the tree, as a family, on a cold winter day. The bow tying the fish adds another layer of humor as she highlights the wildlife that we share the natural world with.
The show is expansive in both theme and place. The work doesn’t focus on one location- whether it be Greenland or New York, the experience is there. The ecological concern is ever present, and this exhibition brings that conversation to light, all the while allowing viewers to explore nature and the wonders the seasons bring. Deeper meanings to the works become ever present, and the artists give us the opportunity to slow down and notice the beauty of the world surrounding us and the concerns and conversations we should be having about our environment. The show has an excellent push and pull of time- allowing us to dive into nostalgia and good memories, all the while hurling us into the present once again.
Blizzard blends an eclectic group of artists whose winter landscapes offer distance in various ways—a space to consider cold, stillness, memory, and environmental change at a moment when these ecological conditions feel furthest away. Their works all offer their own take on what the winter means to them. Instead of focusing solely on the nostalgia and traditions the winter season has come to represent, this group exhibition reimagines winter as a space for reverie and contemplation where beauty and instability collide. It is as if I’m walking down a snow-filled path, amongst one of Deborah Wasserman’s mystical forest scenes, enjoying the crisp feeling of falling snow. I begin to realize that even in a snowstorm, the silence can be so serene and beautiful, especially when I stop and take the time to fully experience everything around me.
Blizzard, DIMIN Gallery, 406 Broadway, Fl. 2, New York, NY 10013. On view until August 29th, 2026. Tuesday to Friday, 10 am to 6 pm.
About the Writer: Taylor Bielecki lives in Gowanus, where her studio is, and works at Pratt Institute, where she earned her MFA. She also studied at Penn State, where she earned a BA in English and a BFA in Fine Arts. She finished as a finalist in the Kennedy Center’s VSA National Emerging Young Artist program for 2017, where she earned an award of Excellence. She has shown prints internationally in a print exchange in Australia and exhibitions in Dubai, India, and the Glasgow School of Art. She has also shown paintings internationally in Gallery 24N, PhilaMOCA’s juried exhibitions in Philadelphia, Pa., Perry Lawson Fine Art in Nyack, NY, BWAC in Red Hook, and IW Gallery in Brooklyn. Taylor works for Two Coats of Paint, TUSSLE Magazine, and has joined Art Spiel as a contributing writer. @Taylor.Bielecki