Monica Kim Garza “Baguettes”
The Hole (86 Walker St.)
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The Hole presents the New York solo debut by Monica Kim Garza. In twelve paintings and three works on paper this show is big and bodacious, large enough to satisfy everyone’s curiosity about this amazing artist they might have only heard about. In Baguettes, Monica’s signature nonchalant characters return in new oil paintings on canvas and works on paper, gathering to feast, drink, smoke and celebrate. Each figure is rendered in broad, bold strokes, often highlighted with collage materials such as wool, yarn and glitter.
Full of camaraderie and joie de vivre, Baguettes includes not only long, delicious loafs of bread but also refers to “chopsticks” in French and calls to mind the community with which we share our meals. Garza’s charming heroines convene for more than sustenance: they beam with fulfillment and pleasure as they sip from their glasses and graze upon various carbs, many of which take on the undeniably phallic shape of French bread. The preparation and consumption of food is not just a way to dabble in hedonism but is also closely tied to personal tradition and nostalgia, which is reflected in the layered process of Garza’s painting. Gradually building up the surface by applying thick strokes of paint over and over again, the artist is perhaps immersed in fond memories of moments spent with her loved ones.
Monica Kim Garza (b. 1988 New Mexico) has gained widespread recognition through her vibrant portrayals of women of color. The Mexican-Korean artist rejects the male gaze, celebrating confident and uninhibited women through her figurative works. Visually her paintings are lively and instantly recognizable, presenting brown-skinned, curvy women engaging in leisurely activities. Garza experiments with form and contour, reimagining the classical female nude in oil, acrylic and collage on canvas. She has exhibited at V1 gallery and New Image Art for many years and recently also Ruttowski 68 in Cologne and Galerie Julien Cadet in Paris.
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Schedule
from September 08, 2021 to October 16, 2021