Joe Fig "Cinematic Paintings"
Cristin Tierney Gallery
This event has ended.
For decades, the myth of the alienated, struggling artist-genius has populated the big screen. These movies about the lives of artists are the subject matter of Joe Fig’s upcoming exhibition of new paintings at Cristin Tierney Gallery in Chelsea September 6 – October 20, 2012.
The scenes depicted in these paintings are archetypical moments, some even verging cliché—the artist at work in the studio, with his muse, in a moment of inspiration, etc. The intimately sized oil paintings have a powerful cinematic quality and are culled from film history dating back to 1936 with Rembrandt (featuring Charles Laughton) and including other classic movies such as Pollock (Ed Harris), Basquiat (Jeffrey Wright and David Bowie), Surviving Picasso (Anthony Hopkins), Frida (Salma Hayek), The Agony and the Ecstasy (Charlton Heston), and Lust for Life (Kirk Douglas). Fig has an eye for subtleties, and the subjects of his paintings are often ancillary characters and quiet moments, rather than the glorious triumphs and violent, manic breakdowns so often associated with these stories.
This body of work is an extension of Fig’s interest in the wild mythology surrounding artist’s lives. His acclaimed book Inside the Painter’s Studio (2009) now in its 6th printing, explores the day-to-day reality of 24 successful contemporary artists and friends in contrast to the fantasy, including Chuck Close, Dana Schutz, Mary Heilmann.
Joe Fig’s work is currently featured in a group show at the Pollock-Krasner House entitled The Persistence of Pollock (NYT review June 29), along with a solo exhibition of recent work at the Southern Vermont Art Center through September 3rd, 2012.
Samples of images from the upcoming show are attached for review. Please contact Maureen Sullivan for more information, images, a preview of the paintings, or an interview with the artist (based in CT, in NYC often). More information can also be found at www.joefig.com.
Media
Schedule
from September 06, 2012 to October 20, 2012
Opening Reception on 2012-09-06 from 18:00 to 20:00