On Thursday September 4th, from 5:30-6:30, there will be a talk given by artist Clara Ursitti with special guest speaker Dr. Pamela Dalton. This event is held in conjunction with Clara Ursitti's exhibition A Big Stick of Confidence, on display at the Esther Klein Gallery from Septmeber 4th - October 18th, 2014. Immediately following the talk, an opening reception will be held at the gallery, where refreshments will be served.
A Big Stick of Confidence is a new scent installation by Clara Ursitti, created as a result of her time spent at the Monell Center in Philadelphia, working with scientists Dr. Pamela Dalton and Dr. George Preti. Clara Ursitti has been creating pungent installations and interventions since the early 1990s. She is interested in non-verbal (chemical) communication, the non-visual senses, speculative fiction and memory. Her work often incorporates situation and context.
Ursitti has exhibited widely internationally and has been the recipient of numerous awards including IASPIS (International Artist Studio Programme in Sweden); Scottish Arts Council Award; Wellcome Sci-Art Grant, Helen Chadwick Fellowship at the British School at Rome and the Ruskin School, University of Oxford. She is presently the recipient of a Canada Council Long Term Artist Grant, and was included in the survey exhibition Generation: 25 Years of Contemporary Art in Scotland. She is currently based in Glasgow, Scotland where she is a lecturer at Glasgow School of Art. For more information about Clara Ursitti, visit www.claraursitti.com.
Dr. Pamela Dalton, Member at the Monell Center, explores how humans percieve and respond to odors. Her research investigates how odor perceptions are influenced by expectations and past experiences. She also studies the impact of workplace exposure to odors and irritants on health and asks whether sensitive subpopulations, such as asthmatics, are at greater risk from such exposures. Dalton recieved her Ph.D. from New York University in Experimental Psychology and her MPH from Drexel University.