NICOLE EISENMAN
2016-06-13Known for her large crowd scenes which all at once conjure up images of indulgent baroque bacchanals and the energetic circumvolution of a contemporary beer garden, her new paintings are of a more intimate nature. Focusing on informal moments shared by friends and lovers, the paintings concentrate on interior spaces and those casual situations that occur only behind closed doors, be that of the studio, a New York apartment or a train compartment.
While Another Green World mirrors Eisenman’s crowded outdoor beer garden scenes, with various groups of friends interacting in the public domain, Nicole now takes the party indoors, to a safe space where interactions can escalate, relationships can go deeper, and the night can unfurl without fear of a closing time. In Morning Studio, two lovers are pictured in an embrace. Their faces are detailed and familiar; their pose is instantly recognizable as one of comfortable affection. Conversely, Long Distance depicts the very modern romance of long distance companionship, maintained over video-chat. The role of technology is expanded through Weeks on the Train and Subway 2, where commuters distance themselves from those physically around them while connecting through the use of laptops and phones. This theme of intimacy is abruptly broken by the intrusion of the Shooter paintings, which crash through the serenity and jolt the viewer back to ever-present reality.
Opposite – Go USA, 2011
Exhibition runs through till June 25th, 2016
Anton Kern Gallery
532 West 20th Street
10011-2820
New York
