Paper: Press Release

Paper October 22nd – December 19th, 2020 Bill Hodges Gallery is pleased to present Paper, a selection of 28 drawings and mixed media works from the gallery’s collection of works on paper. From evocative sketches to fully realized compositions, the exhibition shows the breadth of illusionistic and abstracted realities articulated on the papers surface. This thoughtfully curated selection of paper works will be available to view at our Chelsea location from October 22nd – December 19th, 2020. Artists featured in the exhibition include Charles Gaines (1944), Norman Lewis (1909 – 1979), Romare Bearden (1911 – 1988), Wifredo Lam (1902 – 1982), Agustín Cárdenas (1927 – 2001), among others. Paper offers to the public a fresh insight into some of art history’s most prominent artists from the 20th and 21st centuries. While some Charles Gaines, Explosion #29, 2009, artists use the pencil on paper to think through compositional Graphite on Paper, 41 x 31 in. problems, others produce works of art wholly realized on the paper itself. The paper’s unassuming intimacy incites unparalleled access into a given artist’s distinctive practice. The works selected for Paper stimulate new understandings of prominent modern artists, and facilitates a deeper understanding of the artistic possibilities for works on paper. Dynamic compositions are put in curatorial conversation with simpler, meditative works, like Charles Gaines’ Explosion #29, (2009). Gaines delicate rendering of such a consequential subject matter infuses the work with an impressionistic naturalism. The explosion is set in an empty background, suspending the work in time and space and laying the ground for introspection. The exhibition notably features two etchings by Pablo Picasso made in the later years of his artistic career, enriching our understanding of his artistic pursuits on paper. From his 347 series, Raphael et la Fornarina VI: Enfin Seuls! (1968) prominently features nude figures lounging and exposing their sexual organs. The impressionistic figures and setting are rendered with sparse lines, mirroring the languid nature of the subject. The work encourages an exploration of the erotic, as Picasso quite novelly positions himself as an observer and storyteller. The etching is placed alongside Picasso’s work entitled Le Cocu Posant pour une Photographie Devant des Spectateurs (1966). The Pablo Picasso, Le cocu posant pour une photographie devant figures in both works are drawn with the same des spectateurs, 1966, Etching with Aquatint on Wove Paper, impressionistic details, but the figures in Le Cocu are Edition of 50, 14 ⅝ x 18 ⅜ in. placed in a dark, chaotic atmosphere. Picasso fills the space around the figures with thin, dark lines, instilling abstraction and flatness into his illusionistic reality. These works explore how Pablo Picasso translates his ever evolving artistic style to paper, adding depth into his prolific, daring artistic career. 529 West 20th Street, #10E, New York, NY 10011 ∙ 212-333-2640 ∙ www.billhodgesgallery.com