A Sunday evening art opening in Midtown East can be somewhat of an unusual experience, especially when the gallery space is situated in a high-rise between two questionably legal night clubs. But such was the scene last night at the Horse House, home to the opening reception of Little Bits and Big Pictures, an exploration by artist Douglas Degges into the perversity of painting.
“It’s not enough for me to just want to make pretty, handmade things,” says Degges.
Overall, everything in the space reads like an abstract painting, and everything, in some respect, is an abstract painting. The painters’ work juxtaposed small abstract paintings with large photographic representations of these abstract paintings printed on to canvas. Behind these photographic prints, the artist takes slivers of information from the physical paintings, by digitizing them, and then reintroducing to the world as analog information—as objects in their own right.
“I don't really care what these things are called," Degges says. "I’m not interested in whether these things are called a painting or a print.”
In one regard, the paintings are grotesquely physical, with lots of material with highly textured surfaces that suggest a lot of time put in the labor. On the other hand, they are tiny, domestic intimate paintings that aspire to carry the same emotive power as the larger traditional heroic paintings of the abstract expressionists—think Kline, Pollack, and Gorky. Holding to the lineage of abstract expressionism, Degges' challenge was to be intentional about scaling down the paintings, to make as much happen in as small of a space as possible.
“I’m convinced the smaller paintings are much more difficult to make. Overall it's much less of a challenge to make that same type of painting on a larger level,” notes the artist, seeking to problematize the mere process of painting furthermore.
As always, putting something sincere into the world demands a certain sincerity from your audience, and Degges’ earnest hope is that the viewer find pleasure from the work while "looking at these things and asking more questions."
Little Bits and Big Pictures runs through December 12
Horse House
227 East 56th Street
New York, NY 10022
MAP
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Little Bits and Big Pictures is an exploration by artist Douglas Degges into the perversity of painting. Photos by Kyle Wukasch![]()
Overall, everything in the space reads like an abstract painting, and everything, in some respect, is an abstract painting.![]()
“I don't really care what these things are called," Degges says. "I’m not interested in whether these things are called a painting or a print.”
![]()
“I’
“It’s not enough for me to just want to make pretty, handmade things,” says Degges.
Overall, everything in the space reads like an abstract painting, and everything, in some respect, is an abstract painting. The painters’ work juxtaposed small abstract paintings with large photographic representations of these abstract paintings printed on to canvas. Behind these photographic prints, the artist takes slivers of information from the physical paintings, by digitizing them, and then reintroducing to the world as analog information—as objects in their own right.
“I don't really care what these things are called," Degges says. "I’m not interested in whether these things are called a painting or a print.”
In one regard, the paintings are grotesquely physical, with lots of material with highly textured surfaces that suggest a lot of time put in the labor. On the other hand, they are tiny, domestic intimate paintings that aspire to carry the same emotive power as the larger traditional heroic paintings of the abstract expressionists—think Kline, Pollack, and Gorky. Holding to the lineage of abstract expressionism, Degges' challenge was to be intentional about scaling down the paintings, to make as much happen in as small of a space as possible.
“I’m convinced the smaller paintings are much more difficult to make. Overall it's much less of a challenge to make that same type of painting on a larger level,” notes the artist, seeking to problematize the mere process of painting furthermore.
As always, putting something sincere into the world demands a certain sincerity from your audience, and Degges’ earnest hope is that the viewer find pleasure from the work while "looking at these things and asking more questions."
Little Bits and Big Pictures runs through December 12
Horse House
227 East 56th Street
New York, NY 10022
MAP
Little Bits and Big Pictures is an exploration by artist Douglas Degges into the perversity of painting. Photos by Kyle Wukasch
Overall, everything in the space reads like an abstract painting, and everything, in some respect, is an abstract painting.
“I don't really care what these things are called," Degges says. "I’m not interested in whether these things are called a painting or a print.” 
“I’