Andrew Lenaghan: New Paintings

During November and December the George Adams Gallery will present an exhibition of new paintings by Brooklyn-based artist Andrew Lenaghan.  The show consists of 16 oil paintings completed within the last year ranging in size from 24 x 15 inches to 24 x 98 inches.  This is the artist's sixth solo exhibition with the gallery since his debut in 1995.

The central focus of the current exhibition is Lenaghan's exploration of the figure and complex interior scenes.  Working from life, Lenaghan paints intimate interiors such as a bedside table, his daughter's messy bedroom, his own bedroom complete with unmade bed and stacked laundry, even a room especially used to store plants in winter.   When Lenaghan does paint out of doors, he does not go far; the exhibition includes two views of his backyard, the interior of his garage, and the view from inside the garage looking out. In this last, titled Sarah in the Garage Door he captures the mystery of such dank places in the eyes of a young girl, his daughter who peers uncertainly in from the doorway.

Also notable in the exhibition are a number of figures--he depicts his daughter in Sarah with Brachiousaurus, his wife and daughter in Jane Reading Sarah a Story. He also painted several self-portraits, a new theme for Lenaghan. Rather than straightforward views, however, the artist depicts himself almost as if encountered by accident---he is a glimpse in the mirror at the very edge of Our Bedroom in Daylight; a small element reflected in the window of a neighbor's garage in Our Backyard.

As a counterpoint to the domestic paintings and installed in the smaller gallery is a series of paintings depicting abandoned buildings at Ft. Tilden near far Rockaway, New York. Lenaghan meticulously explores the dilapidated architecture in varying stages of decay, highlighting the contrast between interior and exterior space. In the painting The Canteen, Ft. Tilden, for example, bright sunlight invades the cavernous stone structure, sandy dunes appearing in the distance through the open window frames.  This series also includes Lenaghan's largest painting to date Ft. Tilden comprised of 2 panels and measuring 24 x 98 inches, depicting an expansive view of the overgrown former military site.


Exhibition Checklist

Main Gallery
(all works clockwise from left)

1. The Plant Room, 2003
oil on panel
24 1/2 x 48 inches
AnLp 358

2. Our Bedroom in Daylight, 2003
oil on panel
24 x 24 1/2 inches
AnLp 363

3. Papyrus Plant in the Window, 2003
oil on panel
24 x 15 5/8 inches
AnLp 364

4. Backyard with Self-Portrait in Garage Window, 2003
oil on panel
32 x 48 inches
AnLp 360

5. Backyard Towards Jill's House, 2003
oil on panel
32 x 48 inches
AnLp 361

6. Sarah's Bedroom, 2003
oil on panel
22 x 24 inches
AnLp 355

7. Doing the Domestic Thing, 2003
oil on panel
24 x 24 1/2 inches
AnLp 362

8. Sarah in the Studio with Dinosaurs, 2003
oil on panel
31 7/8 x 48 inches
AnLp 371

9. Sarah in the Garage Door, "The Runaway Bunny", 2003
oil on panel
32 x 48 inches
AnLp 359

10. Green Chair in the Garage, 2003
oil on panel
24 x 36 inches
AnLp 370

Side Gallery

11. The Canteen Ft Tilden, 2002
oil on panel
24 1/2 x 48 1/2 inches
AnLp 347

12. George Fell Down, 2002
oil on panel
32 x 49 inches
AnLp 348

13. Ft. Tilden, Rockaway, NY, 2002
oil on panel
24 x 98 inches
AnLp 345

14. Barracks Interior, Ft. Tilden, Rockaway, 2002
oil on panel
24 3/8 x 48 1/2 inches
AnLp 330

15. Interior of Caprice on Coney Island Avenue with Self Portrait, 2003
oil on panel
16 x 32 inches
AnLp 353