LIGHT
LIGHT Curated by Rico Gatson
525 West 22nd Street New York NY 10011
511 West 22nd Street New York NY 10011
520 West 21st Street New York NY 10011
TRUDY BENSON BEVERLY FISHMAN RICO GATSON DAVID HUFFMAN WARREN ISENSEE TOMASHI JACKSON AARON JOHNSON BASEERA KHAN CHRIS MARTIN CARRIE MOYER JASON STOPA LETHA WILSON
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LIGHT By Rico Gatson
In nature, light creates the color. In the picture, color creates the light. — Hans Hofmann Light is energy, power, radiance, illumination, color, play, promise, and hope. It’s transcendent. It’s the organizing force behind the exhibition which includes the work of twelve multidisciplinary artists. Trudy Benson’s paintings are glorious conglomerations of lines, shapes, and vivid color. The grid, repetition, process—Layered pa!erns, masking off surfaces to reveal complex shapes, and extruding oil paint directly from a tube are prominent features of her process. Her paintings are full of energy; they vibrate and dazzle. Beverly Fishman produces meticulously finished, hard-edge, dimensional, abstract paintings that pulse and glow in rich contrasting colors. They are based on the physical manifestations of pharmaceuticals, their implications, and their impact on society. Rico Gatson works with a limited pale!e of six to eight colors to produce his paintings. Triangles, circles, and lines comprise a system that references symbols of power, spirituality, healing, hope, and light. Prominent African-American cultural and social figures are also a source of inspiration and contemplation.
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David Huffman creates large-scale paintings that initially appear as pure abstraction. Upon close inspection, the paintings reveal layers of recognizable motifs—African textiles, basketball ne!ing, historical and social figures, and the colors of the Pan-African flag. Subject ma!er includes African-American cultural symbols and notions of outer space. Warren Isensee’s rhythmic paintings pulse and radiate with wiggly pa!erns and vivid contrasting colors. They are bursting with energy, power, a sense of humor, and joy.
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Tomashi Jackson creates vibrant works of art that investigate color, light, and perception, and illuminate hidden histories in the African-American experience. Her free-standing sculptures comprise brightly colored kni!ed garments dressing up structures made of found or repurposed furniture or wood. They convey a sense of humility and pride. Aaron Johnson paints luminous fluid canvases occupied by a host of imaginary magical, mystical characters. As Charles Barachon notes, “Allegory, the grotesque, humor, and esotericism animate his paintings.” Baseera Khan’s recent sculpture series is comprised of repurposed props from a television pilot. A polyester backdrop with a printed image of the artist’s living room floats like a ghost or spirit on the wall. A microphone stand and a selfie light serve as an armature. The title Wealth and Ancestors (Living Room), projects the hope for change and new possibilities. Chris Martin produces undeniably mystical colorful paintings with a versatile repertoire of materials, including gli!er, records, bread, and other detritus. He paints fearlessly, evoking spiritual, physical, and cosmic expansiveness.
Carrie Moyer’s sumptuous abstract paintings are complex and layered, combining various techniques in an expansive approach that is highly original. Her color pale!e is exuberant—full of light, energy, and joy. Jason Stopa is a brilliant colorist. His paintings, in bright hues comprising evocative shapes, forms, and symbols, are exorbitantly satisfying. They are delightful examples of painterly joy and light. Letha Wilson generates glorious experiments in material. Corten steel, aluminum, and concrete are combined with printed images depicting beautiful landscapes. The natural world is both the subject and part of the content of her work. Light, space, and the expansiveness of the American West are significant aspects of her work and practice. 9
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TRUDY"BENSON Light Pink Path, 2021 Acrylic and oil on canvas 77 1⁄8 x 66 1⁄8 inches 195.6 x 167.6 cm
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TRUDY"BENSON Structures Gonfables, 2021 Acrylic and oil on canvas 77 1⁄4 x 66 1⁄8 inches 196.2 x 168 cm
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BEVERLY"FISHMAN Untitled (Migraine, ADHD, Pain, Pain), 2021 Urethane paint on wood 52 3⁄8 x 105 inches 133 x 266.7 cm
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BEVERLY"FISHMAN Untitled (Bipolar, Parkinson's, Pain, Gerd), 2021 Urethane paint on wood 56 1⁄4 x 105 3⁄4 inches 142.9 x 268.6 cm
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RICO!GATSON Untitled (Flag VII), 2020 Acrylic paint on wood 36 x 48 inches 91.4 x 121.9 cm
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RICO!GATSON Untitled (Double Sun/Sonhouse), 2021 Acrylic paint on wood 36 x 48 inches 91.4 x 121.9 cm
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DAVID!HUFFMAN Huey, 2020
Mixed media on wood panel 72 x 59 3⁄4 inches 182.9 x 151.8 cm
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DAVID!HUFFMAN Sublimation, 2020
Mixed media on wood panel 72 x 59 3⁄4 inches 182.9 x 151.8 cm
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WARREN"ISENSEE Flat Baroque, 2021 Oil on canvas 35 x 35 inches 88.9 x 88.9 cm
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WARREN"ISENSEE Rabbit Hole, 2021 Oil on canvas 60 x 73 inches 152.4 x 185.4 cm
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TOMASHI"JACKSON Untitled (Color Study I), 2016 Acrylic yarn and wood 45 1⁄4 x 25 1⁄4 x 26 1⁄2 inches 114.9 x 64.1 x 67.3 cm
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TOMASHI"JACKSON Untitled (Color Study II), 2015 Acrylic yarn and wood 41 1⁄8 x 52 x 10 inches 104.5 x 132.1 x 25.4 cm
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AARON"JOHNSON Flight, 2021 Acrylic on canvas 28 x 22 inches 71.1 x 55.9 cm
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AARON"JOHNSON To the Sun, 2021 Acrylic on canvas 66 x 54 inches 167.6 x 137.2 cm
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BASEERA"KHAN Wealth and Ancestors (Living Room), 2020
9oz Polyester Ma(e backdrops, grommets, wood, foam, muslin, microphone stands, selfie light 80 x 91 x 16 inches 203.2 x 231.1 x 40.6 cm
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CHRIS"MARTIN A!er the Rain #3, 2020 Acrylic and gli(er on canvas 88 x 77 inches 223.5 x 195.6 cm
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CARRIE"MOYER Wayfinding, 2020
Acrylic and gli(er on canvas 78 x 66 inches 198.1 x 167.6 cm
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JASON"STOPA The City of the Sun, 2021 Oil on canvas 60 x 48 inches 152.4 x 121.9 cm
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LETHA"WILSON Double Moon Death Valley Layered Concrete, 2021 Unique, C-prints, concrete, aluminum frame 32 1⁄4 x 24 1⁄4 x 1 1⁄2 inches 81.915 x 61.595 x 3.81 cm
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LETHA"WILSON Kauai Sunset Layered Concrete (Photogram), 2021 Unique C-print, concrete, aluminum frame 32 1⁄4 x 24 1⁄4 x 1 1⁄2 inches 81.9 x 61.6 x 3.8 cm
Published on the occasion of the exhibition
LIGHT
CURATED BY RICO GATSON 13 May – 19 June 2021 Miles McEnery Gallery 511 West 22nd Street New York NY 10011 tel +1 212 445 0051 www.milesmcenery.com Publication © 2021 Miles McEnery Gallery Introduction © 2021 Rico Gatson All rights reserved Director of Publications Anastasija Jevtovic, New York, NY Photography by Christopher Burke Studio, New York, NY Elisabeth Bernstein, New York, NY John Wilson White, San Francisco, CA Image Credits Pages 30 - 32 Courtesy the artist and Tilton Gallery, New York, NY Pages 34 - 36 Courtesy of the artist Page 38 Image courtesy of the artist and Simone Subal Gallery, New York. Photo: Dario Lasagni Page 40 © Chris Martin. Image courtesy the artist and Anton Kern Gallery, NY Page 42 Courtesy of the artist and DC Moore Gallery, New York Page 44 Courtesy of the artist and Morgan Lehman Gallery, New York, NY Pages 46 - 48 Courtesy of the artist and GRIMM, Amsterdam | New York ISBN: 978-1-949327-54-0