Extended through May 1, 2021
Works Exhibited
About
When I’m painting, I often become very involved with these different personalities that come about. . . . It’s an automatic process of a personality that comes from the motion of my hand and from my imagination.
—Spencer Sweeney
Gagosian is pleased to present Queue, an exhibition of new paintings by Spencer Sweeney.
Sweeney’s imagery is centered on the human figure, ranging from semiabstract reclining nudes to surreal, ambiguously gendered self-portraits. Conveying intense emotion through lively color and deft handling of paint, his art maps the physical and psychological spaces occupied by the body.
In his paintings, Sweeney moves among art historical references, emulating the enigmatic tone and audacious palette of Surrealist and Russian Expressionist figures such as Alexej von Jawlensky. Deriving further inspiration from the drive of jazz improvisation, Sweeney allows faces and encounters from his subconscious to rise to the surface as he paints. The resulting works, which he describes as having been created through an instinctive, “automatic” process, are abstract topographies and dreamscapes as much as they are traditional portraits. Surpassing the simple objective recording of their subjects, they chart the subjective interiorities of the human psyche.
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Artist
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Artist to Artist: Spencer Sweeney and Peter Doig
Peter Doig visits Spencer Sweeney’s studio and the two discuss automatism, ambiguity, and anguish in the creative process.
Shortlist
Mixtape: Spencer Sweeney
Spencer Sweeney shares a selection of songs that have punctuated his journey through the pandemic and ponders the expressive powers of a playlist.
In Conversation
Spencer Sweeney and Edek Bartz
Curator and concert promoter Edek Bartz speaks with the artist about portraiture, album covers, and subverting expectations.
In Conversation
Spencer Sweeney and Kembra Pfahler
Kembra Pfahler speaks with Sweeney about his work, staying inspired, and the relationship between self-portraiture and performance.
