G.V. Rodriguez and Bennet Schlesinger at Sebastian Gladstone, New York

I was first introduced to the work of G.V. Rodriguez by my close friend—and, at the time, roommate—Bennet Schlesinger. I had just started my gallery when Bennet shared a few blurry cell phone photos of textured figures in repose, set against hued backgrounds that resembled quilts or even a Klee grid. The images were indistinct, with no clear sense of scale, but I kept asking to see them again. Eventually, I was compelled to arrange a studio visit.

Rodriguez was living in Key West, making work on the floor of his living room. Even through the still-blurry computer screen, I couldn’t fully make out the paintings, but I put together a budget to have a few shipped to me. None of them had ever been stretched—he would finish a work and roll it into a pile. When the pieces finally arrived, I distinctly remember unrolling the ratty tube and being astounded by what I saw: a practice that felt timeless, gritty, and visceral. Rodriguez and I have been working together ever since.

Bennet was the first show in our inaugural gallery space. At the time, he was designing lamps, selling them piecemeal or in small shows, one or two at a time. We planned for a January 2021 opening, and I asked him to hold off on holiday sales—his busiest season—and instead collect names so we’d have a list of people to offer the work to. It was a truly dark and uncertain time—just the two of us sitting in our house, plotting and hoping it would work out. Somehow, out of all that, a gallery materialized.

This show is, first and foremost, a tribute to the conversations we’ve shared—about work, life, and the joy of making. It’s an idea from the earliest days of our working relationships, one that has taken years to manifest at a scale none of us could have imagined. It’s rare, as a gallerist, to present something so personal within the framework of a business—but here, it feels right. This is a love letter to friendship and to the world we’ve built together. I hope you enjoy the show as much as we’ve enjoyed putting it together.