Portrait paintings, with the grandiose air of their often elegantly poised subjects, can come off as standoffish––stuffy, even. But Eric Fischl's depictions of his wealthy, powerful, and famous cast of friends at Mary Boone Gallery feel twistedly earnest, and not because their subjects aren't wearing 17th-century powdered wigs.
In his Sargent-like portraits, which date from 1992 to 2011, Fischl has managed to infuse his works with the candid quality of snapshot photography, which he actually uses to render his subjects on the canvas. In St. Barts Ralph's 70th (2009), there's familiarity and ease in the group's knowing smiles, laughing eyes, and unselfconscious body language––one figure shoots a squinting glance at the camera before going back to capping her Evian bottle. This and other beachside paintings make you want to jump in and have some laughs with the gang. Others offer a thrilling dip into something more guarded that's best viewed from a distance. His painting of Joan Didion and John Dunne, for instance, does away with about-the-author-style headshots for an angsty, complicated portrait in which Didion's stance is a toss-up between a languid shrug and a shield.
Other subjects in the two-gallery exhibition (Mary Boone's Chelsea and 5th Avenue locations) include Stephanie Seymour with her daughter, Francesco Clemente with his family, Lorne Michaels, and John McEnroe with his family. Done in the fleshy brushstrokes that have become his signature since he started out in the late 70s, all of the works in the show are a study of Fischl's ability to create narratives as deeply private as they are inviting.
Eric Fischl: Portraits closes on March 17th, 2012.
MARY BOONE GALLERY
541 W 24th St
New York, NY 10001
MAP
MARY BOONE GALLERY
745 5th Ave # 405
New York, NY 10151
MAP
![]()
The Gang (detail)
![]()
The Gang
![]()
St. Barts Ralph's 70th
![]()
![]()
A self-portrait
![]()
In his Sargent-like portraits, which date from 1992 to 2011, Fischl has managed to infuse his works with the candid quality of snapshot photography, which he actually uses to render his subjects on the canvas. In St. Barts Ralph's 70th (2009), there's familiarity and ease in the group's knowing smiles, laughing eyes, and unselfconscious body language––one figure shoots a squinting glance at the camera before going back to capping her Evian bottle. This and other beachside paintings make you want to jump in and have some laughs with the gang. Others offer a thrilling dip into something more guarded that's best viewed from a distance. His painting of Joan Didion and John Dunne, for instance, does away with about-the-author-style headshots for an angsty, complicated portrait in which Didion's stance is a toss-up between a languid shrug and a shield.
Other subjects in the two-gallery exhibition (Mary Boone's Chelsea and 5th Avenue locations) include Stephanie Seymour with her daughter, Francesco Clemente with his family, Lorne Michaels, and John McEnroe with his family. Done in the fleshy brushstrokes that have become his signature since he started out in the late 70s, all of the works in the show are a study of Fischl's ability to create narratives as deeply private as they are inviting.
Eric Fischl: Portraits closes on March 17th, 2012.
MARY BOONE GALLERY
541 W 24th St
New York, NY 10001
MAP
MARY BOONE GALLERY
745 5th Ave # 405
New York, NY 10151
MAP
The Gang (detail)
The Gang
St. Barts Ralph's 70th
A self-portrait
