The Garth Greenan Gallery in
Chelsea is currently featuring a collection of work by Victoria Gitman in a
self-titled exhibition. For this show, Gitman presents
seven life-sized paintings of purses made from some very colorful fur, and a
series of eight figure drawings based on compositions by Old Masters.
Gitman’s paintings of these fancy
purses look quite genuine as she studies them in close detail against grey
backgrounds. The purses range in shape and size with both light and dark
colored fur with aesthetically pleasing patterns, many of which emulate the
styles of 20th century masters like Kazmir Malevich and Mark Rothko. Notable
depictions include a large rectangular leopard skin handbag, a small
rectangular handbag with thick, multi-colored fur, one that features half-red
and half-white fur that resembles soft, curly hair as though seen from the back
of a human head, and one featuring curly fur as white as snow.
Gitman’s figure drawings are very
detailed and expressive, based off of Old Masters such as Bronzino and Ingres, while
at the same time, the graphite on mylar material gives the works an ephemeral
quality. One untitled drawing portrays a woman, wearing a dress and veil
looking over her shoulder at an angelic baby reaching for her. On the left side
of the image, a man’s head can be seen as another child also reaches out for
her.
Victoria Gitman was born in Buenos
Aires, Argentina immigrating to the United States in the late 1980s. She earned
a BFA in painting from the Florida International University, and has
participated in several solo shows and her work is featured in many museums
across the country including at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), and the
Whitney Museum in New York.
At Garth Greenan Gallery, 529 W. 20th St.,
through Feb. 14. The gallery is open Tues.—Sat. from 10 a.m.—6 p.m.
