The New Baroque
Booth Gallery is pleased to present The New Baroque a group exhibition co-curated by Rob Zeller and Casey Gleghorn featuring an astonishing culmination of works by 21 of the most talented contemporary figurative artists working today. The New Baroque opened November 18 and is on view at Booth Gallery, 325 W. 38th St., New York, NY through January 13, 2018.
The New Baroque was inspired by the artist and co-curator Rob Zeller’s new book on the exciting resurgence of the figure in art, The Figurative Artist’s Handbook. Much like the Baroque period, the diverse array of artists in this exhibition speak to contemporary political, personal and formal artistic concerns using a common, figurative language in uniquely personal styles. While the book was used as a starting point, Zeller and Booth Gallery Director, Casey Gleghorn, have moved beyond the scope of the printed text. They have added some artists not included in the original printing, both painters and sculptors, to reflect a broader spectrum of new and exciting voices in the figurative movement.
Artist, writer, & “The New Baroque” co-curator Rob Zeller. Photo credit Paola Duran
The original Baroque, an effort largely financed by the Catholic Church as a reaction to the Protestant Reformation, favored the “Blockbuster”, large-scale dramatic paintings of Biblical scenes that illustrated how this material world interacted with the Divine, the spiritual. Entirely secular in nature and more personal in scale, this exhibition also features artists who dig deeper than the mere appearance of things, the first level of realism. They are asking bigger questions of personal and metaphysical concerns, using the figure and its environment as a foil to explore the nature of existence. While this show offers up a diverse array of 22 contemporary figurative artists, it is richly steeped in a dialogue with artists of the past. Because figurative art has been in existence prior to the Egyptians, there is a deep well of experience for contemporary artists to draw upon.
SILVER, by David Kassan, oil on panel, 2016, 48 x 72 inches http://www.davidkassan.com
Artists participating in the exhibition include:
Steven Assael, Bo Bartlett, Aleah Chapin, Carl Dobsky, Randall Exon, Zoey Frank, Alex Kanevsky, David Kassan, Kurt Kauper, Evan Kitson, Maria Kreyn, Brad Kunkle, Christian Johnson, Adam Miller, Matthew Miller, Alyssa Monks, Odd Nerdrum, Camie Salaz, Chie Shimizu, Nicola Verlato and Rob Zeller.
The Cannibals, by Adam Miller, oil on canvas, 2017, 76 x 96 inches http://adammillerart.com
Civita Kitchen, by Zoey Frank, oil on canvas on panel, 2016, 20 x 24 inches https://zoeyfrank.com
To learn more visit the Booth Gallery website
The Figurative Artist’s Handbook
Published by The Monacelli Press in April 2017, The Figurative Artist’s Handbook, by Robert Zeller, seeks to address the resurgence of the figure in contemporary art. It contains an overview of the figure in art history, figure drawing lessons, portrait lessons, suggestions on keeping a sketchbook . Additionally, it gives an overview of the working practices of some of the best figurative artists working today.
Find out more at Rob Zeller’s website, including where to order and reviews, here.
The Waiter’s Dream, by Rob Zeller, oil on linen, 2017, 62 x 74 inches
Visit Rob Zeller’s website to learn more about his work, his writing, and the exhibition: https://www.robertzeller.com
