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Elizabeth Peyton's Pop Portraits
With cool subjects such as Kurt Cobain, Leonardo DiCaprio, Susan Sontag, and Michelle Obama, Elizabeth Peyton is a defining portraitist of her generation. VIEW OUR GALLERY.
Considered by many to be among the best portraitists working today, Elizabeth Peyton is being celebrated with a traveling retrospective that began at New York’s New Museum and is on view, through September 20, at London’s Whitechapel Gallery. Inspired by history and pop culture, Peyton’s subjects include Prince Harry, Kurt Cobain, Marc Jacobs, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Queen Elizabeth II. Live Forever: Elizabeth Peyton features some 70 paintings and works on paper from the past 20 years, and is accompanied by a comprehensive catalog, published by Phaidon.
Click To View Works From Live Forever: Elizabeth Peyton
A modern Manet, Peyton was born in Connecticut in 1965 and studied at the School of Visual Arts in New York, where she continues to live and work. Working from photographs and real life, Peyton makes small-scale works that capture her subjects in a wistful way. Her earliest works depict intimate looks at friends and lovers, such as the artists Tony Just and Rirkrit Tiravanija, and idolized views of rock stars, including Liam Gallagher, Jarvis Cocker, and Sid Vicious.
Artists of the past and literary subjects also intrigue Peyton. She’s painted enchanting renditions of Frida Kahlo, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Susan Sontag. Scenes from movies are equally inspiring, with snippets from Vincente Minnelli’s Madame Bovary, Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette, and Martin Scorsese’s The Age of Innocence entering her oeuvre via charcoal and paint. An artist with a heartfelt touch, sharp eye, and fluid spirit, Peyton is arguably one of the most talented chroniclers of our times.
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Paul Laster is the editor of Artkrush.com, a contributing editor at Flavorpill.com and Art Asia Pacific, and a contributing writer at Time Out New York and Art in America.
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Paul Laster is the editor of Artkrush.com, a contributing editor at Flavorpill.com and Art Asia Pacific, and a contributing writer at Time Out New York and Art in America.
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Paul Laster is the editor of Artkrush.com, a contributing editor at Flavorpill.com and Art Asia Pacific, and a contributing writer at Time Out New York and Art in America.
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Paul Laster is the editor of Artkrush.com, a contributing editor at Flavorpill.com and Art Asia Pacific, and a contributing writer at Time Out New York and Art in America.
guiltybystander
a few aren't bad
ehneil
I saw the show of her paintings at the New Museum and I was underwhelmed by both the content and the technique. I couldn't disagree more with Paul Laster on this one. A "Modern Manet?," please.
piktor
"A modern Manet"
You need glasses, Mr. Laster. These paintings are an embarrassment to the craft and art of painting.
shepaints
"One of the most talented chroniclers of our times"?? I would consider these images good but not great. Is gaining recognition for your art a matter of talent or politics (capturing the attention of those folks who have the power to define greatness)? I've seen more compelling portraits from the painters in Portland, Oregon... but then Portland's art scene isn't New York's (yet!).
pricklypear
I am not an art expert but, I wish if you find fault with something you should educate the rest of us as to why this work does not pass muster.
drescher
illustration...
chuygonza
I had a chance to see the collection at the Walker in Minneapolis, and was truly inspired by Payten's technique. Her use of color is amazing, and the way she captures emotion (and in some cases, lack of emotion) is incredible. Also, I love how she captures the spirit of a specific time and place, whether it is London, Berlin, or the USA. You all should take a look at her complete exhibition-- preferably in person. I think your comments would change for the better.
ehneil
With regard to content I don't feel that the subjects of here paintings, waif like celebrities, are nearly as important as the dedicated attention the artists gives them. With regard to technique, it doesn't seem that she is interested or perhaps capable of expressing any of the internal qualities of the subjects. If the message is that these people are lacking in internal qualities, well what is the point of devoting such attention to them? The work overall seems to romanticize celebrities rather than skewer celebrity culture.
Thank you.
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