Form and Function is a two-person exhibition featuring small, medium and large-scale oil paintings by painter Fred Badalamenti and pottery by Bebe Federmann. These two unique artists share a distinct interest in soft shifts in tone, bold form, delicate texture, and striking colors, as well as a dedication to traditional techniques and subjects. Influenced by his participation in the New York Figurative Alliance in the 1960s, Badalamenti creates balanced compositions from the direct observation of carefully arranged still-lifes, often of household objects. As the artist states, his process brings “a congenial distinction of humble truth.” Federmann combines her interest in traditional vessel forms with a minimalist aesthetic to create her traditional and timeless pieces. Her primarily wheel thrown works often juxtapose glazed and unglazed surfaces. Functioning in the home as both art objects and utilitarian pieces, Federmann’s pieces are intended to forge a relationship within the household and procure their place within the home for many generations. Badalamenti’s sensitive alla prima surfaces, along with Federmann’s gentle sprays of porcelain over coarse stoneware, each create a yearning in the viewer to touch the refined surfaces of these beautiful artworks.

Fred Badalamenti was raised in Farmingdale and lives in Setauket. He received his MFA from Brooklyn College where he taught for 27 years and served as the deputy chairman of the Graduate and Undergraduate Studio Art program from 1972 to 1992. Badalamenti also served as adjunct faculty at Stony Brook University until 1999. Bebe Federmann was born in Brooklyn and raised on Long Island. She has been creating pottery since 1997 and served as assistant director at Hands on Clay in Port Jefferson. Federmann has taught ceramic workshops for 20 years.