Painting the Figure Now is a yearly group show hosted by the Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art dedicated to showcasing contemporary figurative works—with an emphasis on “contemporary.”
“We try to look for a sense that the artist is examining what it means to be living now and dealing with the world we all inhabit,” explains this year’s guest co-curator David Willson. “What we really want to be able to see in a painting is that it belongs in the present.”
Amanda Greive, An Infinite Escape, oil on wood panel, 24 x 18"
Willson was joined by Kiki Kim in curating the show, meticulously studying each entry that came from the PoetsArtists community and other invited artists, until finally settling on the 21 winning pieces that, in Willson’s words, “skillfully captured the essence of the present moment, creating thought-provoking and relevant works that resonate with the current times.”
Among the juried artists is Homeira Mortazavi for her piece DigitEyes, which artfully explores the very timely digital world of blockchain, NFTs and artificial intelligence. Saturated with symbolism, the painting juxtaposes Mondrian-inspired abstract art with portraits of Frida Kahlo, Pepe the Frog as an “artiste,” and depictions of two generative art projects created by women on the blockchain.
Kate Van Doren, We Can Thrive From This, Part 2, oil on Dibond, 24 x 30"
“In this painting, I’m trying to make sense of what is happening to the art of our time,” Mortazavi says. “I am creating a harmonious connection among three concepts—the art of the past, symbolized by the geometric forms and the portrait of Frida Khalo representing the feminine, with my presentation of the nude of our time and the stormy arrival of AI and generative art. It is a question that I often ask myself—would my art be relevant without incorporating what the new technologies can offer to artists?”
For Amanda Greive, the importance of figurative art lies in its infinite capacity for conveying the human experience. “The viewer gets to interact with the piece through the lens of their own lived experiences but also gain insight into the life of the artist,” says Greive. She painted her showpiece An Infinite Escapeafter she began to take her meditation practice more seriously. “This painting was the product of my practice, as well as internal conversations about creating time and a safe space to revel in solitude,” she says. The woman holds a bounty of blooms over her face, in a similar way one might with a pillow to block out unwanted stimuli. For Greive, “the flowers also serve as a symbol of her individuality, and the woman is completely immersing herself in that oneness.”
Homeira Mortazavi, DigitEyes, oil on canvas, 24 x 36"
Kate Van Doren’s We can Thrive From This features two sisters who the artist photographed in 2022 for the Healing Words Project, an ongoing human rights photography project that helps women reclaim their power through powerful and personal messages about their own internal strength.
“After years of battling anxiety and depression, twins Gilian and Eileen decided to take their physical and mental health into their own hands,” says Van Doren. “Facing their past traumas, they have rewritten their own narratives to harness an empowered life path for themselves. They chose the mantra ‘we can thrive from this’ to represent their work, and the work they share to help other women to heal. This piece is an expression of the powerful connection between Gilian and Eileen, and their healing journey back to self-love after hardship.”
Arina Gordienko, Raindrops Whisper, oil on Belgian linen, 19¾ x 15¾"
“All one has to do today is look at the paintings being made by Jenny Saville, Alex Kanevsky, Ann Gale, Alyssa Monks, Vincent Desiderio and thousands of others to understand figurative painting is not dead; far from it,” says WMOCA executive director David Hummer. “I believe, as I always have, painting the human figure is inexhaustible. It’s being reborn every day. This is why Painting the Figure Now at the WMOCA is so important. It keeps the pulse of this eternally evolving subject, helping us better understand ourselves as a society as well as an individual.”
Painting the Figure Now will also be presented by 33 Contemporary online at www.artsy.net. —
Painting the Figure Now
Through October 28, 2023
Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art
309 McClellan Street • Wausau, WI 54403
(715) 298-4470 • www.wmoca.org
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