Gagosian opens an exhibition of new paintings by Dan Colen
The First Art Newspaper on the Net    Established in 1996 Saturday, November 2, 2024


Gagosian opens an exhibition of new paintings by Dan Colen
Dan Colen, Mother (Jail), 2021-2022. Oil on canvas, 59 x 151 x 2 inches, 149.9 x 383.5 x 5.1 cm © Dan Colen. Photo: Rob McKeever. Courtesy Gagosian.



NEW YORK, NY.- Gagosian is presenting Lover, Lover, Lover, an exhibition of new paintings by Dan Colen from the Mother and Woodworker series. All the paintings belong to the final group of his Disney-inspired canvases, which he initiated with the Candle series in 2003. Also included are three sculptures by Sy Colen, the artist’s father.

Borrowing its title from a song written by Leonard Cohen on a visit to his ancestral homeland of Israel during the Yom Kippur War, Lover, Lover, Lover employs the aesthetics of Disney animation to reflect on the many “lovers”—god, birthplace, friend, father, mother, spouse, and child—that we have, lose, and move between. Colen, who is also Jewish, relocated briefly with his family to Israel when he was five years old, an experience that shaped his idea of home in all its charged complexity. Lover, Lover, Lover, which was conceived of during another pivotal moment in the artist’s life, explores this perception in concert with ideas of tradition, influence, and the always-fraught American dream.

The Mother paintings, which Colen began in 2009, are based on scenes from the Disney classic Lady and the Tramp (1955) and reflect a concern with the places that shape our lives. They propose various sites as potential manifestations of “home,” exploring a spectrum between freedom and bondage. In this series, Colen incorporates the theme of influence by “quoting” brush marks from a broad range of historical movements including, but not limited to, Photorealism, German Romanticism, and American Spiritualism. The images present moments from a journey toward a hinted-at promised land, conjuring feelings of uncertainty, but also of hope. For Colen, Disney’s creations manufacture an idealized backdrop to our shared desire while operating in the context of power and control; the series explores our collective need for a secure existence—and the reality that many will never attain it.




In the Woodworker paintings, begun this year, Colen employs imagery from Disney’s Pinocchio (1940), building a more literal connection to his own family—specifically his father—and establishing a meta-narrative within the exhibition. The new works depict details of the old wood-carver Geppetto’s studio, alluding to the moment at which materials become autonomous from their user. Woodworker (Musical Boxes) (2022), which pictures an assortment of figurines crowding the puppeteer’s workspace, alludes to the artist’s output; Woodworker (Book) (2022), which focuses on a thick leather-bound tome surrounded by other books and objects, gestures toward the process of research. In the relatively spare Woodworker (Chisel) (2022), Geppetto’s chisels and paint containers are confined to the margins of the composition, leaving a central area clear and charged with creative potential.

Both the Woodworker and Mother series thematize the way in which familial relations mirror the notion of creative influence, and the inclusion in the exhibition of three sculptures by Colen’s father—a self-taught wood-carver—underscores this idea. One of these portrays Dan Colen’s grandfather; another represents his mother while pregnant with him, bringing the project full circle.

While Lover, Lover, Lover focuses on Colen’s painting practice, the artist also continues to work on Sky High Farm in New York’s Hudson Valley, which he founded in 2011 as an extension of his studio practice. Now operating as a 501(c)(3) organization, the farm grows and raises nutrient-dense produce and proteins for donation to marginalized communities and is committed to creating pathways toward food sovereignty. Coinciding with the opening of Lover, Lover, Lover, Sky High Farm will host a symposium at the Judd Foundation on September 17, 2022. The series of talks will focus on nontraditional art practices and artist-run organizations, land access, and community empowerment. Additional details and registration information are forthcoming.

Home can be a dream for some and a nightmare for others. It is the past we come from and the future we aspire to. But inevitably it’s where we are, the earth we stand, work, and rest on in the present.
—Dan Colen










Today's News

September 8, 2022

New shows that widen the beaten path

Calder Gardens in Philadelphia to honor a native son

Rago/Wright announces merger with Toomey & Co.

Miles McEnery Gallery now representing Jacob Hashimoto

Gagosian opens an exhibition of new paintings by Dan Colen

She's the Peggy Guggenheim of SoHo

Bonhams appoints Marcel Brouwer as International Specialist of Modern Decorative Art & Design

MASSIMODECARLO opens an exhibition of works by Josh Smith

Galerie Urs Meile opens an exhibition of works by jakob bill

Derek Eller Gallery opens an exhibition of works by Jameson Green

Almine Rech London hosts its first solo exhibition of German artist Jenny Brosinski

Venus Over Manhattan presents 365 NFTs by Justin Aversano

Solo exhibition of paintings and works on paper by Robert Szot opens at Anita Rogers Gallery

Woman in Veil, by Martínez and Vidaurreta jewelry lead Moran's Made in Mexico auction results

Holabird announces results of its Rush to the Rockies auction

Oolite Arts' Shares program makes collecting art accessible to Miamians

Heritage announces largest anime art auction ever

Orange County Museum of Art announces leadership gifts and named spaces

New Yorker Festival to host Bono, Quinta Brunson and Jamie Raskin

Biting satires dominate Booker Prize shortlist

Carolee Schneemann's first major exhibition since her death in 2019 opens at the Barbican

rodolphe janssen opens two new exhibitions of works by Louisa Gagliardi and Cornelia Baltes

Phoenix Art Museum appoints new head of education, engagement, and community programs

Colby Museum announces new curatorial hires

4 Handy Tips for Creating a WordPress Theme

A guide to starting your health and fitness journey

The Best Free Online Movie Streaming Sites Today

Fashion Myths We're Busting

Famous Animal Paintings




Museums, Exhibits, Artists, Milestones, Digital Art, Architecture, Photography,
Photographers, Special Photos, Special Reports, Featured Stories, Auctions, Art Fairs,
Anecdotes, Art Quiz, Education, Mythology, 3D Images, Last Week, .

 



Founder:
Ignacio Villarreal
(1941 - 2019)
Editor & Publisher: Jose Villarreal
Art Director: Juan José Sepúlveda Ramírez
Writer: Ofelia Zurbia Betancourt

Attorneys
Truck Accident Attorneys
Accident Attorneys
Holistic Dentist
Abogado de accidentes
สล็อต
สล็อตเว็บตรง

Royalville Communications, Inc
produces:

ignaciovillarreal.org juncodelavega.com facundocabral-elfinal.org
Founder's Site. Hommage
to a Mexican poet.
Hommage
       

The First Art Newspaper on the Net. The Best Versions Of Ave Maria Song Junco de la Vega Site Ignacio Villarreal Site Parroquia Natividad del Señor
Tell a Friend
Dear User, please complete the form below in order to recommend the Artdaily newsletter to someone you know.
Please complete all fields marked *.
Sending Mail
Sending Successful