The importance of preserving artwork for decades, even centuries to come, cannot be emphasized enough. Nobody turning the pages of this magazine needs to be convinced of that—of the ways in which art captures the current narratives, emotions, trials and tribulations of its time. The ways that artists tell stories not only about themselves, but, inextricably, about everyone around them as well. An upcoming exhibition, opening March 25 at Rehs Contemporary in New York City, zeroes in on this very idea. Beneath the Surface was organized in collaboration with Artefex, an art materials producer specializing in artists’ panels made from aluminum composite material or ACM. The lightweight but durable medium is resistant to warping, cracking, tearing and changes to relative humidity and temperature, all major factors that influence preservation.
Nigel Cox, ZAP!, oil on Artefex panel, 30 x 30"
Featured in Beneath the Surface are 17 leading modern artists, including Julie Bell, Nigel Cox, Mark Daly, Amanda Greive, Richard Hall, James Neil Hollingsworth, Hiroshi Furuyoshi and Kari Tirrell. Each artist’s work in the exhibition was created on Artefex panels.
Greive brings to the exhibition a vertically oriented oil of a woman lounging in a chair, a bouquet of flowers seemingly sprouting from her face and covering it entirely. “[kitty kitty] was inspired by the idea of looking for ways to thrive during times of disaster,” she says. “Whether it be by cloaking oneself, either literally or figuratively, in a protective layer or by finding joy in the simplicity of sitting in your favorite chair at home while entertaining yourself or a pet, my work for the show emphasizes the necessity of guarding and preserving our mental and physical health.” Working on ACM panels has been advantageous to her practice, says Greive, adding that that rigidity of the panel allows her to achieve deeper levels of detail in her artwork. “Most of all, though, I appreciate the archival quality of the panels. I don’t have to worry about them warping or about the integrity of the paint being compromised, which is always a great relief.”
Amanda Greive, kitty kitty, oil on Artefex panel, 24 x 18"
The paintings of Irish figurative artist Cox feature isolated individuals walking or standing in white backdrops, with just a whisper of their surroundings seen in hints of gray shapes in the distance. He says, “My art has been focused around solitude, space and minimalism for the past decade. As a city dweller, I have always been fascinated by the solitary figure within a crowd, unobserved and confident. I am most comfortable sitting on my own in a busy location watching the world go by. Seeing motion and light working its wonders on the passersby…their skin, hair and clothing. These things mesmerize me and inspire me to paint.” Cox’s painting in the show, ZAP!, came from the artist’s love of superheroes and comics “and how a lot of their powers are not physically manifested.” The oil depicts an ordinary man in tattered jeans walking casually away from the viewer, the word “ZAP” on the back of his shirt, hinting at his superhuman identity.
James Neil Hollingsworth, Big Drill No. 4, oil on Artefex panel, 16 x 16"
Richard Hall, Plane Hanger, oil on Artefex panel, 36 x 24"
“Earlier on in my career I tried many different supports for my paintings from laminated wooden panels to aluminum panels,” says Cox, “to very smooth solid supports that allowed the paint to glide across the surface, very different to painting on linen or cotton canvas…When I was approached by Rehs Contemporary asking if I would like to participate in a group show using a new type of linen mounted on aluminum panel developed… I jumped at the opportunity. I was delighted at the idea of having the solid structure of aluminum while keeping the textured surface I have become accustomed to painting on…These panels bring together the firm support of an aluminum panel along with the textured surface of linen—perfect for my style of painting.”
Hiroshi Furuyoshi, Maya, oil on Artefex panel, 5 x 7"
Disturbing the Peace, by Tirrell, adds a flair of humor to the exhibition as a toy wind-up crow stands in a police line-up. “This painting is an addition to my Bad Boys Series—toys that have been arrested or are in a line-up for various crimes. This particular painting was actually inspired by real-life crows. I sleep with my bedroom window open when the weather warms up. In the summer it gets light here fairly early, and it’s common to hear the birds outside as early as 4 a.m. It’s not unpleasant to hear the birds singing, but I don’t enjoy the crows loudly cawing in the tree outside my window when I’m trying to sleep. It’s impossible to ignore. Disturbing the peace is exactly what they do,” says Tirrell.
Julie Bell, Dream Traveler: Tiger, oil on Artefex panel, 16 x 16"
Kari Tirrell, Disturbing the Peace, acrylic on Artefex panel, 18 x 15"
Hollingsworth’s still life Big Drill No. 4 captures the subtle play of light and rust on a vintage power tool.
“I had borrowed this massive drill from a friend of mine years ago, and took a bunch of photographs of it while it was in my possession. I’ve painted it three times over the years, but had been saving this particular composition for a special occasion. I thought the surface of this new panel would work well in rendering the smooth, bare metal body of the drill, and it did,” he says.
Mark Daly, Radio City Lights, oil on Artefex panel, 24 x 18"“As a visual artist and musician, I have always been drawn to Radio City Music Hall, especially its art deco exterior when lit at night,” says Daly. His nocturne city scene Radio City Lights captures the iconic New York City music hall, a place the artist says “portends a larger-than-life experience.” He continues, “Since its opening in 1932, more than 300 million people have enjoyed concerts, movies, stage shows and special events at the hall. My painting…depicts a nocturnal view looking west along 50th Street. The figures, trees, background buildings and dark sky play a secondary role to the painting’s center of interest: the classic neon lights of Radio City Music Hall.” Daly adds that the firmness of ACM provided the proper surface to create a night scene, as it more easily allowed for thinner layers of paint than the artist’s typical heavier impasto applications.
Ultimately each of these works of art will be put to the test of time. Ensuring their preservation means preserving the original intent and vision of the artist, and this endeavor will always be an essential element in the larger story of human culture. Beneath the Surface remains on view at Rehs Contemporary through April 22. —
Beneath the Surface
When: March 25-April 22, 2022
Where: Rehs Contemporary, 5 East 57th Street, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10022
Information: (212) 355-5710, www.rehs.com
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