2014 Catalogue Archive

To create the works in his Hysteresis series, Ross Iannatti collects used airbags from a wreckage yard and stitches them together in a loose grid composition. The soft blues, yellows, pinks, and greys of the bags give the work a gentle, touching quality, which stands in stark contrast to the bag’s use in a moment of crisis. Marks on the bags might include dirt, oil, dust, and even make-up or blood. One might imagine the painting was made in two steps – as the bag rapidly inflated with highly toxic nitrogen and sodium azide gases, and then later as it dangled from the interior of the car, collecting dirt and dust. Iannatti received his BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University and is currently pursuing his MFA at the Milton-Avery Graduate School of the Arts at Bard College. Iannatti’s work has been included in group exhibitions at James Fuentes, Higher Pictures, CUE Art Foundation, Open Space, and Kate Werble Gallery.