NYAB Event - Duncan Hannah “Tomorrow’s Sensations!”

Duncan Hannah “Tomorrow’s Sensations!”

New Release

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The stars are ageless, aren’t they? - Sunset Boulevard, 1950

New Release presents Tomorrow’s Sensations! a group of new paintings by Duncan Hannah.

In this series, Hannah has navigated through the vast amount of both American and European film starlets from the 20th Century in order to re-create a select group in fresh form. Time becomes nonlinear; reverie meets reality. In one painting, the actress Capucine poses calmly, showing off a distinct profile against a light rose backdrop. Following suit are paintings of Gloria Guida standing in a thin swimsuit (she was Miss Teen Italy, 1974) and Joan Bennett, the star of pre-code Hollywood, both as transformed, immortal head shots.

In another work, Hannah reimagines actress Anouk Aimée as she focuses on the viewer from a scene as Maddelena in La Dolce Vita. Unlike other portraits; the background comes alive; the actress playing an encore on a forgotten set.

Also in the exhibition Hannah expands upon subject with paintings of theaters and cars. The theaters may still be in use, but perhaps boarded up and closed down, ready to be expelled. Duncan cites them as places of idolatry and paints them as shrines; where both the actor and viewer have worshiped and have been worshiped. Juxtaposing the theaters, Duncan’s European sports car images depict an archaic, friendly futurism. Behind the cars Hannah includes subtle locales with an inspirational nod to artists such as Joachim Torres Garcia.

Dispersed amongst the paintings are several vintage radios (the older cousin of the pictures), restored by Giuseppe Accardi. Once shiny and new in a shop, then in complete disrepair, they now have been reborn under the knife. Music escapes from one of the radios, composed by artist Ole Brolin. For the exhibition Brolin has created a waltz emulating the Swedish folk music of his youth but with an added fusion of blues and jazz. Brolin looks to the past, but with motivation create a new language that the radio has not yet spoken.

Duncan Hannah has had over 70 solo exhibitions of his paintings, collages and drawings since his debut in 1981. His work is in collections ranging from the Metropolitan Museum of Art to Mick Jagger. Hannah was awarded a 2011 Guggenheim Fellowship. His most recent exhibitions were Jeff Bailey Gallery, Hudson, NY, 2016 and Ornis A. Gallery, Amsterdam 2014.