Lost Constellations ReviewJuxtapozPublished on 2/25/2008
Review of 'Lost Constellations' by George Koroneos.
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Two of the most powerful women in the pop surrealism movement took up stakes at Jonathan Levine Gallery this past weekend and the place was smokin'. Tara McPherson and Lori Earley premiered their two-lady show with a selection of work that's just mind-boggling. Tara's show, Lost Constellations, filled the LeVine's main hall with giant oil paintings that feature many of the characters in her rock posters. It's so easy to forget that Tara's talent as an artist lies well beyond the comic style that she is most known for. Many of the guests at Friday night's VIP preview took in a close view of the paintings and commented on how perfect her brush strokes are. Like Shag, her work is so pristine it looks as if it was virtually transferred on to the birch canvases.
Levine's annex offered a different view of McPherson's style. Inside the tiny room three giant, fiberglass-resin skull flower statues stand guard, towering over the visitors. Around the perimeter of the room, nine Mr. Wiggles--big-eyed balloons--float amongst a sea of stars. The room is trippy, yet oh so cute.
Back to reality. Lori Earley's exhibit, aptly titled Fade to Gray, features a series of sketch-style graphite studies created for the exhibit. Each work is hung in an ornate white frame against flocked white wallpaper. Peppered throughout the room are a handful of new oil paintings--one model stunningly after artist Angie Mason.
Both Earley and McPherson were on hand at the preview show, mingling amongst other well-known artists including Ron English, Daze, and Mark Ryden. Both signed and sketched for fans as the place filled to the brim with critics, press, and buyers. The show runs until March 22.
For more information visit www.jonathanlevinegallery.com