Flatlands

Jan 14–Apr 17, 2016

A painting by Orion Martin. A lamp, flowers, and flat planes do not spatially resolve.
A painting by Orion Martin. A lamp, flowers, and flat planes do not spatially resolve.

Orion Martin (b. 1988), Bakers Steak, 2015. Oil on canvas, 51 1/2 in. x 35 1/2 in. (130.8 x 90.17 cm). Courtesy of the artist

This exhibition brings together paintings by five artists—Nina Chanel Abney, Mathew Cerletty, Jamian Juliano-Villani, Caitlin Keogh, and Orion Martin. Highlighting an engagement with representation among some emerging artists, the works in this group conjure a sense of space that is dimensionless and airless, like the illusionistic scenery flats used on stage and movie sets. Each of these artists fills their compositions with objects, bodies and places that are based on reality, yet are exaggerated, recontextualized, simplified or flattened. The individual works are imbued with both the uncertainty of our sociopolitical moment as well as the seductive quality of consumerism and physical attraction. The paintings in Flatlands invite the viewer to reflect on this ever-present polarity and ambivalence of contemporary life.

Flatlands is organized by assistant curators Laura Phipps and Elisabeth Sherman.

The exhibition will be on view through April 17, 2016 in the John R. Eckel, Jr. Foundation Gallery, on the Museum's first floor, which is accessible to the public free-of-charge.

Major support is provided by John R. Eckel Jr. Foundation. 

Generous support is provided by Liz and Jonathan Goldman.

Events

View all

On the Hour

A 30-second online art project:
Maya Man, A Realistic Day In My Life Living In New York City

Learn more about this project

Learn more at whitney.org/artport

On the Hour projects can contain motion and sound. To respect your accessibility settings autoplay is disabled.