Debbi Kenote’s first solo show in New York is an energetic, colorful display of 11 new “shaped paintings” and “paintings of shapes.” The works are visually held together by what the artist describes as both “whimsical” and “narrative” acrylic paint lines. These lines often form flowing shapes that hold matte color contrasted over a faded, tie-dye-esque foundation. Cohesive in their trend towards sculpture, careful consideration of space, and evocation of stained glass, these works all successfully embody what the Washington-born artist describes as her “world-building” compositions.
The term “Fire Followers” references the often-vibrant plants that are triggered to sprout after a destructive wildfire. Each painting alludes to fire or is named after a specific fire follower and was created in the aftermath of a personal tragedy for the artist. The exhibition reminds us that grief is natural and inevitable, and with it comes an opening for new things to come – a blooming flower.
The angular “shaped paintings” are the most dynamic in the show – they consist of one or more openings that frame negative space. Two are unexpectedly hinged, allowing the viewer to open and close the pieces at varying degrees. Kenote stretches her dyed canvas over complicated, handmade geometric structures, like Funaria, which is composed of 16 decagons, lined up in rows of four, with alternating gaps that simultaneously allow the painting room to breathe and also create other curious shapes.
Kenote takes the idea of hinged paintings and presents them in two distinct, refreshing ways through Fireweed and Interrupted Elfcup. Revealing the back of the work, we see the structure of the wooden stretcher and how the dye bleeds through to the other side. Kenote’s work questions the traditional format of paintings – why not show the complexity of the underlying construction, and why not paint on the back? Outstretched, Fireweed and Interrupted Elfcup appear nearly as opposites – one folds out, one folds in. When Interrupted Elfcup opens, the slight gap between the two separate components expands greatly, exposing a surprising amount of space, where the viewer suddenly finds themself in the center, the painting now doubled in thickness and stacked on both sides. After closing Fireweed in on itself completely, showing the “front” of the painting, Kenote retains a peek at the bare wooden stretcher through a kind of playful keyhole in the center. It is up to the viewer to decide how they want the piece to live in the space – static, or in flux – and how they will interact with it. The backs of all the shaped paintings are photographed and included in the catalog, where the viewer can see how it all comes together.
Kenote’s special attention to what is typically hidden or avoided leads us to consider the beauty of building blocks, what can be gained through empty space, and the many colors of self-reflection in what she describes as, “the variety of life present after wildfire.”
Fire Followers is on view at My Pet Ram until November 10, 2024.
“Fire Followers”
My Pet Ram
48 Hester Street
New York, NY 10002
Thurs-Sun | 12-6pm
