Contemporary Art: American Portraiture - Selling the Self @ Morgan Presents New York

 (Drivebycuriosity) - Manhattan`s Lower East Side is slowly degenerating into a party district with a legion of fast food places & other dives. But there could be still some fine art discovered. Morgan Presents, an exhibition space on Suffolk street, belongs to the stalwarts of culture, worth a visit. The place is founded and directed by Morgan Aguiar-Lucander ( about).

 

There is now a group exhibition, called "American Portraiture - Selling the Self" ( press release). I display here my favorites - a very subjective selection as usual.

Above you can see 2 portraits by Walter Robinson: "Model in the Studio" (2023, Acrylic on canvas,40 x 40 inches/101.6 x 101.6 cm) plus "Laramie" (2023, Acrylic on canvas, 24 x 24 inches/61 x 61 cm). Robinson is obviously inspired by Hollywood movies.

 

 

followed by Andy Warhol`s portrait of "Dr. Erich Marx" (1978, Acrylic and silkscreen ink on canvas, 40 x 40 inches/101.6 x 101.6 cm). This was Warhol’s notable German patron, whose collection formed the basis of the Hamburger Bahnhof Museum of Modern Art in Berlin. I visited the amazing place in 2014 (my report )

 

Above "Lost Keys" by Rebecca Ness (2023, Oil on linen, 80 x 65 inches, 203.2 x 165.1 cm).

 

Above Mike Shultis`"The Apple" (2023, Oil, acrylic, vinyl, polyfil stuffing, wigs, silicone ears, fake eyebrows, fake eyelash, antique hat, plastic duck, wood goose, duck ornament, earrings, Apple Watch, fake apples, stuffed animals, mink scarf, rabbit fur, taxidermy rabbit head, bark, fake leaves, fake plants, astroturf, rocks, fake rocks, wood, inkjet transfers, charcoal, ceramic devil, thread, staples and screws on panel, 78 x 86 x 9 inches/198.1 x 218.4 x 22.9 cm).

and another Shultis : "Portrait of an Artist with Cats" (2023, Oil, acrylic, inkjet transfers, wood, vinyl, polyfil stuffing, cat pillow, paint brushes, paint tubes, used palette, purse, cat figurines, cat toys, plastic grapes, metal bowl, costume jewelry, stuffed animals, pillows, printed Goya painting, velvet, wig, vintage cat mask, foot stool, tassel, high heel, night gown, taxidermy mink head, vintage kids rolling horse, staples and screws on panel, 51 x 60 x 10 in/129.5 x 152.4 x 25.4 cm).

 

Last but not least: Ernesto Rend`s "I'm not everyone's cup of tea" (2023, Found objects, screws, acrylic, wax pastel on bleached canvas, glue relief on wood panel/ 48 x 72 x 5 1/4 inches/121.9 x 182.9 x 13 cm) plus a detail shot.

To be continued