Robin F. Williams’ show Good Mourning at P·P·O·W gallery in Tribeca sees their paintings grow into realism. Williams is a regular at P·P·O·W, with this being their 5th solo show at the gallery. They have used pop culture images throughout their career, but Good Mourning heavily uses shared cultural consciousness to turn horror film stills into symbols of women’s experiences. The exhibition consists of realistic gouache paintings of film stills and larger, stylized oil paintings amalgamating different final girls in pivotal moments of horror movie cinema.
Good Mourning will immediately appeal to horror fans, especially those who have gone so deep down the rabbit hole as to read Carol J. Clover’s seminal Men, Women, and Chain Saws. Williams draws directly from the archetype of the “final girl” that Clover coined in her work. The series of realistic guaches shown in the exhibition are direct copies of stills from films such as When Harry Met Sally, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Suspiria, and Carrie. As a group, these paintings are particularly poignant because they point out the tropes that final girls exist in through repetition. Over and over again, female protagonists in horror films are put in vulnerable positions, and frequently, abject fear is portrayed in a way similar to sexual ecstasy. The collection of works confronts the viewer with their voyeurism.
The other works in Good Mourning are more closely related to Williams’ past body of work in style. They are large-form cubism-influenced oil paintings with distinct color palettes. The deep texture of William’s work is exceptional. The soft, misty look is more associated with pencil, but Williams achieves it through masterful technique with oil. The paintings also show moments from films, but Williams puts the scenes through their lens instead of being taken straight from the celluloid. Many of the women in these paintings are mash-ups of film protagonists and pop-culture moments. For example, the exhibition’s titular piece, Good Mourning, combines elements inspired by Flowers in the Attic, Francisco Goya’s Mourning Portrait of Duchess Alba, and Anjelica Huston’s 1985 Vanity Fair portrait, as well as Anna Nicole Smith in her funeral/wedding dress.
Good Mourning challenges viewers to interrogate themselves and consider their participation in the voyeurism and gender stereotypes of film. Visitors to the exhibition can read more about William’s thought process in the accompanying zine. Additionally, Good Mourning coincides with the release of the first monograph on the artist’s work, Robin F. Williams: We’ve Been Expecting You. The book includes essays from P·P·O·W curator, Sarah Berenz. Good Mourning will be on view until October 26.
Robin F. Williams: Good Mourning
PPOW Gallery
390 Broadway, 2nd Floor
September 6 – October 26, 2024
