Bowery Gallery: On Notice (2021)
Bowery Gallery
646-230-6655, 530 West 25th 4th Floor, NYC
Gallery Hours: Tuesday - Saturday 11AM - 6PM.
This exhibition of paintings and drawings was created over the past two years against the backdrop of upheaval. The general mood here in NYC and beyond felt dark and uncertain, with a sense of isolation. Yet, there were also brighter moments of hope.
During this time, I had the opportunity to be in upstate New York, and I used my studio days to read and draw. Following in the age-old tradition of painting from nature, I drew outside. When it was too cold, I drew the interiors of the house and studio, including a few people and two cats. With form and color, I attempted to reflect the mood of both quarantine and racial reckoning.
I started drawing flowers and tulips that were full of beauty and life; when faded, they became symbols of mourning and transience. I also drew the trees around me. The old, cragged, and enduring apple trees were particularly satisfying subjects to examine.
Finally, the colossal heads—created centuries ago by the Olmec people—were introduced to me in a drawing class by Graham Nickson. I drew large heads, sometimes falling over, reminiscent of Greek and Roman sculpture, which reminded me of the overturning of so many of our public statues. In my mind, the heads are both powerful and feminine