Intersect 21 Curatorial Selections: CURA Art
Liza Shapiro
Georgia Powell
CURA Art supports and encourages those that collect and display works of art. Liza Shapiro and Georgia Powell are the founders of CURA Art based in London and Los Angeles. CURA Art offers a personal and trusted approach to caring for varied collections, providing specialized services and expertise to ensure that works of art and other precious objects are preserved, managed, and displayed to the highest standards. Visit CURA Art at https://www.curaart.com.
Here are CURA Art's picks from Intersect 21. Read Liza and Georgia's full bios and find out more about their approach to their selections below.
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CURA Art presents a selection of three works represented by galleries from the Middle East, North Africa and Los Angeles, based on their curated walkthrough of the fair that can be found here. In line with the fair’s ideas surrounding “intersecting” and cultural exchange, their choices seek to link the works, each reflecting a shared concern for escapism. At a time of physical disconnect and isolation, our surroundings have become even more important and all three of these works help the viewer to lose themselves in a different space.
Barry Iverson’s hand-colored photograph offers a dream-like view of Cairo; a nostalgic and romanticized view of the past. The use of color creates a cinematic feel to the image, and the stillness of the water evokes a sense of serenity.
Ruth Pastine’s painting challenges the phenomena of perception and the relativity of color, light and space to create a wistful quality for the viewer. The work acts like a limitless vortex, drawing you in further, and encouraging a peaceful and meditative state.
Nabil Anani’s work presents a Palestinian landscape without disruption or threat and in doing so creates the utopian vision of the artist’s dreams. The bright colors, use of ornamental pattern and manicured landscape combine to create an inviting and idealized pastoral scene.
The sunset in Barry’s works leads through to the “unknown space” or dream world of Ruth’s painting, before awakening to a new vision for the world, presented by Nabil. All of these works connect through their ability to transcend reality and project a feeling of optimism for the future.
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Liza Shapiro
Based in Los Angeles, Liza specializes in preservation and collections management, with expertise in creating bespoke databases. Liza’s interest for caring for works of art began while studying art restoration in Florence, Italy. She earned a BA in Art Conservation from Camberwell College of Arts, London, and an MA in Museum Studies from University College London (UCL). Liza worked at several museums, galleries and conservation studios, including Tate Modern, the Victoria and Albert Museum, The Redfern Gallery, and Janie Lightfoot Textiles. Liza returned home to California in 2015, and has established a strong LA presence, working with varied private collections and industry specialists.
Georgia Powell
Based in London, Georgia specializes in the professional management, research and display of collections. Georgia studied in Italy and the UK, earning a BA in Art History at the University of Warwick, continuing her studies with an MA in the same subject in London. Georgia has worked at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London and with an exhibition designer to catalogue and display prominent private collections including The Myers Collection at Eton College and the Portland Collection at Welbeck Abbey. She then managed The Redfern Gallery on London’s prestigious Cork Street. As Assistant Curator of the renowned, private collection of decorative arts owned by The Goldsmiths’ Company in London, Georgia was responsible for managing, exhibiting and expanding a collection of more than 9,000 objects.
