The Axelle Fine Arts
Galerie in Soho is currently presenting a collection of work by Yves Crenn for
an exhibition titled Un Autre Temps,
which translates to “Another Time.” For his sixth solo show at the gallery,
Crenn offers exquisite new paintings where he uses a wide range of subjects
including portraits of animals, nude figures, and still-lifes. The inspiration
for many of Crenn’s paintings came during a trip to Pompeii as a young child
when he became fascinated by the frescoes and artifacts preserved in the ashes,
and the textures and muted colors in his paintings are very much like those
seen in Italian frescoes.
One of Crenn’s animal
portraits titled Dalmatien is a
poignant image of a dog of the classic breed with a gentle, compassionate
expression on its face. Other animal paintings include Chien un collier rouge II featuring a white canine happily running
around a sandy beach, and Porcelaine which
features a porcelain-colored white dog standing alone with the pale blue and
white colors illustrating a cold, winter night.
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| Dalmatien by Yves Crenn |
Crenn effectively
illustrates how natural beauty of the female figure with his intimate nudes
where he uses warm colors. These include Deuxieme
Mouvement featuring a woman standing with her back turned to the viewer as
she looks to the side, and Femme au drape
illustrating a young woman’s poise and graceful style as she sits up on her bed
with half of her body covered in a silky white dress or blanket.
Crenn makes excellent use
of soft brushstrokes in his landscape and still-life paintings. Still-life
paintings such as Bouquet de roses I
and Bouquets au carnet bleu
illustrate vases of lush, white flowers; landscape paintings such as Un arbre a Hyde Park and Vache au Val de Saanee feature trees with lush, green leaves blowing in the
wind.
At The Axelle Fine Arts Galerie, 472 West
Broadway, through May 17. The gallery is open from 10 a.m.—6 p.m.
