Exhibition View (L-R) Ernst Yohji Jaeger’s Untitled 6, 2019; Reggie Burrows Hodges, Big We’ll, 2020; Caleb Hahne, Rocked In The Arms of Earth, 2020; Jenna Gribbon, Lunch Touch, 2020, Courtesy of the Artists and the FLAG Art Foundation, Photo by Steven Probert
On view at the FLAG Art Foundation, NY, is the group show and I will hear you in my heart of heart, that compiles the work of 35 artists of varying backgrounds. Hung across the space, new works are exhibited which allude to themes of humanity, companionship and family through the eyes of each of this multicultural, multi-generational group of artists. Among the roster, names that are familiar to AOC come up, like Salman Toor, Sally J. Han, and Danielle McKinney, among others. On view through mid August in their Chelsea gallery space, Heart of heart is a wonderful collection of relevant emerging art and the underlying themes that connect it.
Exhibition View (L-R): Ann Craven, Two Love Birds (Yellow Orchids), 2021; Gareth Cadwallader, Orange Juice, 2015; Sally J. Han, Sunset, 2021; GaHee Park, Shallow Night, 2018, Courtesy of the Artists and the FLAG Art Foundation, Photo by Steven Probert
The multiple works that make up this exhibition are hung in an almost classical collection style. With little wall space between each piece, that they seem to be eager to converse with each other. The variation in styles, color palettes, compositions and approaches in craft speak volumes of the authenticity in expression, and the expansiveness in identity available in each of these figurative painters.
Danielle McKinney (b. 1981) To Talk About God, 2020 Acrylic on canvas panel 16 x 12 inches (40.6 x 30.5 cm), Courtesy of the Artists and the FLAG Art Foundation
Featured not so long ago at Art of Choice, Danielle McKinney is one of the featured artists that make up this diverse group of artists. To Talk About God, 2020, with its dense green background, single subject seated back on a chair, with a rebutting presence of religious iconography in the composition, is the tip of the iceberg of McKinney’s ability to demonstrate sensation and complex symbolism. The wide brushstrokes add a level of expressionism to the artist’s figurative style, and her fearless use of bright colors, speak to her background, and her intentional presence in each piece.
Jenna Gribbon (b. 1979) Lunch Touch, 2020 Oil on Linen 12 x 9 inches (30.5 x 22.9 cm), Courtesy of the Artists and the FLAG Art Foundation
Also making an appearance are Jenna Gribbon’s expressly titillating oil paintings. Usually known for her semi-nude portraits of other artists and colleagues, this time we see an intimate scene of a moment of impulse, through the eyes of a woman in a red dress. As a viewer, one can almost feel the soft cotton skirt of the dress, sliding up the leg. The bright colors used by the artist are blended through a characteristic angular movement.
Tajh Rust (b. 1989) If I had a dream, 2021 Oil on canvas 60 x 48 inches (152.4 x 121.9 cm), Courtesy of the Artists and the FLAG Art Foundation
Heart of heart provides the viewer with a complex interaction. Each work of art represents the artist through their unique figurative styles. Through visual language, each of the artists is speaking of their conceived realities, across cultures, languages, and time zones. And I will hear you in my heart of heart is a true culmination of a combined perception of the world we live in. Continue scrolling down to see more images, and make sure to visit the FLAG Art Foundation if you have the chance to do so.
Exhibition View (L-R) Ernst Yohji Jaeger’s Untitled 6, 2019; Reggie Burrows Hodges’s Big We’ll, 2020; Caleb Hahne’s Rocked In The Arms of Earth, 2020; and Jenna Gribbon’s Lunch Touch, 2020, Courtesy of the Artists and the FLAG Art Foundation, Photo by Steven Probert
Jordan Casteel (b. 1989), Golden Girl, 2019, Oil on canvas, 72 x 56 inches (182.88 x 142.24 cm), Courtesy of the Artists and the FLAG Art Foundation
Somaya Critchlow’s Petworth Beauty (Abigail), 2020; Carroll Dunham’s Mud Men, 2017; and Louis Fratino’s Brushing our Teeth, 2020, Courtesy of the Artists and the FLAG Art Foundation, Photo by Steven Probert
