Opening Reception: Friday, November 21, 6–8pm
Derek Eller Gallery is pleased to present Bus Stop, a solo exhibition of mixed-media works by Nancy Shaver which she has been developing for nearly four years. The centerpiece of the show will be a massive 49-foot wall covered in a quilt-like fashion by a concentration of Shaver’s signature Blockers, sculptures comprised of wood blocks wrapped in an array of fabrics and configured into colorful grids.
Shaver describes Bus Stop as a gathering of disparate people united in the activity of waiting for a bus. It’s “a grouping of unlikely partners. Cheek by jowl in many cases, a few inches apart in others. All trying to relate, find common ground, respect differences. Enjoy difference. Speaking to and with others. The individual is consumed by the group”. As is frequently the case with Shaver’s installations, Bus Stop invites the viewer to slow down and become immersed in the maximal presentation, to look, discern, and consider the vast variety of relationships and arrangements, to “experience the individual amongst the group”.
The notions of a multitude of possibilities in tandem with the close juxtaposition of different parts are foundational to Shaver’s practice. For example, the Blocker itself along with the Box (another signature Shaver sculpture which makes an appearance in Bus Stop), are cubic forms which lend themselves to infinite combinations, be it in color, pattern, or texture. Shaver mixes modest materials with objects, carefully considering placement and adding color or mark-making if desired.
On a final note, Shaver writes, "As always my heart felt thanks to John Jackson for his problem solving, care and humor. His participation in all aspects of work is most important."
Nancy Shaver (b. 1946, Appleton, NY) lives and works in Jefferson, NY. Shaver, along with Jared Buckhiester, Walker Evans, and Robert Gober is currently featured in a four-person show at American Art Catalogues, New York. Select solo and two-person exhibitions include Copper and Propane, a photograph: what it is and what it isn’t, F, Houston, TX (2022); Blockers, Spacers and Scribble Drawings 2020, Parker Gallery, Los Angeles, CA (2021); Gathering texture, following form (with Emi Winter), Parker Gallery, Los Angeles, CA (2019); Alex Olson and Nancy Shaver: Waters, 12.26, Dallas, TX; Nancy Shaver: Reconciliation, The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Ridgefield, CT (2015); Feature, Inc., New York, NY (2002-2011) and Curt Marcus Gallery, New York, NY (1987-1999). Select group exhibitions include Nayland Blake, Matthew Marks Gallery, New York (2025); Second Annual Exhibition with Wolf, The Campus, Hudson, NY (2025); One Day at a Time: Manny Farber and Termite Art, MOCA, Los Angeles, CA (2018); Outliers and American Vanguard Art, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC (2018); VIVA ARTE VIVA, 57th International Exhibition of Art, La Biennale di Venezia, Venice, Italy (2017); Greater New York, MoMA PS1, Long Island City, NY (2015); and Robert Gober: The Heart is Not a Metaphor, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY (2014). This will be her fifth solo exhibition at the Gallery.