Friend of OC Dan Colen's first show at Oko gallery consists of three paintings: two of his own and one 19th century painting. And what they have in common is magic.
The 19th century painting, A Scene from a Midsummer Night's Dream, is by the pre-Raphaelite painter John Anster Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald uses fantastical creatures to depict either his drug-induced visions or his escapist fantasies––or maybe both. The painting is small, and its brambled frame similar to the forests that surround castles in children's fairytales. You might even say that a spell seems to emanate from the painting. In the center of the scene, a muscular man with the head of a donkey looks directly at us non-magical creatures, smiling. He's being spoiled by fairies, who are having the time of their lives dancing in a seemingly infinite forest. (This illusion of space is even more interesting given the small size of the painting.) They're magical beings enjoying magical fun.
On the adjacent walls, Colen's paintings featuring glimmering arcs face each other. You could say they're reminiscent of the Sorcerer's Apprentice in Walt Disney's Fantasia, where magic and imagination become intertwined in the apprentice's dream state. Maybe that's what these paintings are meant to capture: magical performance. Besides, the process that Colen uses to create the works' texture (is it solidified powder? Bubbly glue?) is a combination of accident and chemistry, like the alchemy in the sorcerer's apprentice story. Could the artist be hinting at a magical property of art? See the show before it closes on June 15th, 2013.
OKO
220 E 10th St
New York, NY 10003
MAP
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Installation view, courtesy of Oko
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Installation view, courtesy of Oko
![]()
Installation view, courtesy of Oko
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John Anster Fitzgerald,
Titania and Bottom: A Scene from a Midsummer-Night's Dream,
Oil on canvas,
17 1/2 x 27 inches,
Private Collection
![]()
John Anster Fitzgerald,
Titania and Bottom: A Scene from a Midsummer-Night's Dream,
Oil on canvas,
17 1/2 x 27 inches,
Private Collection
The 19th century painting, A Scene from a Midsummer Night's Dream, is by the pre-Raphaelite painter John Anster Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald uses fantastical creatures to depict either his drug-induced visions or his escapist fantasies––or maybe both. The painting is small, and its brambled frame similar to the forests that surround castles in children's fairytales. You might even say that a spell seems to emanate from the painting. In the center of the scene, a muscular man with the head of a donkey looks directly at us non-magical creatures, smiling. He's being spoiled by fairies, who are having the time of their lives dancing in a seemingly infinite forest. (This illusion of space is even more interesting given the small size of the painting.) They're magical beings enjoying magical fun.
On the adjacent walls, Colen's paintings featuring glimmering arcs face each other. You could say they're reminiscent of the Sorcerer's Apprentice in Walt Disney's Fantasia, where magic and imagination become intertwined in the apprentice's dream state. Maybe that's what these paintings are meant to capture: magical performance. Besides, the process that Colen uses to create the works' texture (is it solidified powder? Bubbly glue?) is a combination of accident and chemistry, like the alchemy in the sorcerer's apprentice story. Could the artist be hinting at a magical property of art? See the show before it closes on June 15th, 2013.
OKO
220 E 10th St
New York, NY 10003
MAP
Installation view, courtesy of Oko
Installation view, courtesy of Oko
Installation view, courtesy of Oko
John Anster Fitzgerald,
Titania and Bottom: A Scene from a Midsummer-Night's Dream,
Oil on canvas,
17 1/2 x 27 inches,
Private Collection
John Anster Fitzgerald,
Titania and Bottom: A Scene from a Midsummer-Night's Dream,
Oil on canvas,
17 1/2 x 27 inches,
Private Collection