Damian Loeb
Encyclopedia
Damian Loeb is an American
painter
. Self-taught, he moved to New York City
in the early 1990s.
Discovered by Jeffrey Deitch, founder of Deitch Projects
and current director of LAMoCA
, Loeb had his first solo in 1999. Since then, he has had international solo and group shows at galleries and museums, including the Mary Boone Gallery in New York, White Cube
in London
, the Jablonka Galerie in Cologne
, the Kunsthalle in Hamburg
, and a 2006 retrospective of his work at the Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art
in Connecticut. He is currently represented by the Acquavella Gallery.
titled Verschränkung and the Uncertainty Principle. The show consists of eight paintings based on a series of images he took of his wife Zoya over the past seven years. The title references paradoxes in quantum physics, wherein subject and object are rendered indistinguishable, (Verschränkung) and that the act of observation affects the object being observed (the Uncertainty Principle). The theory is used as as a metaphor to examine the false barrier of safety imagined by observers and their culpable connection to the objects being scrutinized; as well as between artist and muse.
The paintings are reminiscent of Old Master portraits, though their apparent spontaneity belies the amount of work needed to create each, in the use of chiaroscuro
, glazing
, and classic composition. Typified by the up-stretched hand in early morning sun, the subject of Atmosphere (2010), these paintings have the ambiance of 17th century Baroque artist Georges de La Tour
and the quiet tension of Gerhard Richter's
photo-based work. All composed in square format, they depict the intimate moments of a life's narrative. Tension and melodrama are created by activating the relationship connecting the image and viewer through the inclusion of the optical vocabulary of cinematography and the allusion to the constraints of the instant polaroid. Thus bringing into question the act of voyeurism and the anticlimactic and revelatory nature of privacy. Gone is the rough, almost pixelated canvas of his previous work, instead these new paintings Loeb used a more traditional, smoother linen, which more readily show off his unique skills as a craftsman, as well as an iconic image maker.
, illustrating the overlap between our memories of images from contemporary cinema
and our ‘real world’ experiences.
In the second series of paintings, Loeb delved into the dark psychology
of memory and emotion. These more loosely rendered pieces addressed psychological themes such as perception, distortion, fear, and fantasy in the form of small landscapes.
The addition of these works to Loeb's oeuvre has lead critics to describe him as a 21st century J. M. W. Turner
.
and Science Fiction
films. To create these works, he captured and digitally combined multiple stills which were then rendered as large oil paintings.
Many of the works take the form of extreme landscapes up to 14 feet long, engulfing one's field of view and
reproducing the atmospheric elements of the scene without the use of recognizable or iconic signifiers.
or Andrew Wyeth
, with surreal components plucked from postmodern culture.
Much of this early work gained him notoriety for his appropriation of images from contemporary media sources, and his paintings were the subject of several lawsuits brought by photographers over issues of copyright infringement
. In 2004, controversy led to the removal of one of his paintings, Blow Job (The Three Little Boys) from a show at the University of Hartford
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
. Self-taught, he moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in the early 1990s.
Discovered by Jeffrey Deitch, founder of Deitch Projects
Deitch Projects
Deitch Projects was a contemporary art gallery in New York City founded by Jeffrey Deitch.-History:Since opening with a performance by Vanessa Beecroft in February 1996, the gallery has presented nearly one hundred and eighteen solo exhibitions and projects, ten thematic exhibitions, and a few...
and current director of LAMoCA
Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles
The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles is a contemporary art museum with three locations in greater Los Angeles, California. The main branch is located on Grand Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles, near Walt Disney Concert Hall...
, Loeb had his first solo in 1999. Since then, he has had international solo and group shows at galleries and museums, including the Mary Boone Gallery in New York, White Cube
White Cube
White Cube is a contemporary art gallery designed by MRJ Rundell & Associates in Hoxton Square in the East End of London Mason's Yard, in central London and White Cube Bermondsey in South East London...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, the Jablonka Galerie in Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, the Kunsthalle in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, and a 2006 retrospective of his work at the Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art
The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum
The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum is located in Ridgefield, Connecticut, USA. The Aldrich has no permanent collection. It is one of the United States's leading contemporary art galleries and special exhibition spaces . The museum is an international leader in museum education .The Aldrich was...
in Connecticut. He is currently represented by the Acquavella Gallery.
2008 - Present
In May of 2011, Damian Loeb debuted a new series of figurative paintings at Acquavella GalleriesAcquavella Galleries
Acquavella Galleries is an art gallery located at 18 East 79th Street between Madison and Fifth Avenues in the Upper East Side neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. It occupies a five-story French neo-classical townhouse. It was founded by Nicholas Acquavella in 1921 and is owned and operated...
titled Verschränkung and the Uncertainty Principle. The show consists of eight paintings based on a series of images he took of his wife Zoya over the past seven years. The title references paradoxes in quantum physics, wherein subject and object are rendered indistinguishable, (Verschränkung) and that the act of observation affects the object being observed (the Uncertainty Principle). The theory is used as as a metaphor to examine the false barrier of safety imagined by observers and their culpable connection to the objects being scrutinized; as well as between artist and muse.
The paintings are reminiscent of Old Master portraits, though their apparent spontaneity belies the amount of work needed to create each, in the use of chiaroscuro
Chiaroscuro
Chiaroscuro in art is "an Italian term which literally means 'light-dark'. In paintings the description refers to clear tonal contrasts which are often used to suggest the volume and modelling of the subjects depicted"....
, glazing
Glaze (painting technique)
Glazes can change the chroma, value, hue and texture of a surface. Drying time will depend on the amount and type of paint medium used in the glaze. The medium, base, or vehicle is the mixture to which the dry pigment is added...
, and classic composition. Typified by the up-stretched hand in early morning sun, the subject of Atmosphere (2010), these paintings have the ambiance of 17th century Baroque artist Georges de La Tour
Georges de La Tour
Georges de La Tour was a French Baroque painter, who spent most of his working life in the Duchy of Lorraine, which was temporarily absorbed into France between 1641 and 1648...
and the quiet tension of Gerhard Richter's
Gerhard Richter
Gerhard Richter is a German visual artist. Richter has simultaneously produced abstract and photorealistic painted works, as well as photographs and glass pieces, thus undermining the concept of the artist’s obligation to maintain a single cohesive style.- Biography :Gerhard Richter was born in...
photo-based work. All composed in square format, they depict the intimate moments of a life's narrative. Tension and melodrama are created by activating the relationship connecting the image and viewer through the inclusion of the optical vocabulary of cinematography and the allusion to the constraints of the instant polaroid. Thus bringing into question the act of voyeurism and the anticlimactic and revelatory nature of privacy. Gone is the rough, almost pixelated canvas of his previous work, instead these new paintings Loeb used a more traditional, smoother linen, which more readily show off his unique skills as a craftsman, as well as an iconic image maker.
2005 - 2008
In September 2008 Loeb showed two new series of work at the Acquavella Galleries in New York. These included several large paintings which bore a striking resemblance to film stills, but were all based on the artist's own personal photographs. The tightly rendered paintings evoked the iconic narrative images embedded in the collective unconsciousCollective unconscious
Collective unconscious is a term of analytical psychology, coined by Carl Jung. It is proposed to be a part of the unconscious mind, expressed in humanity and all life forms with nervous systems, and describes how the structure of the psyche autonomously organizes experience...
, illustrating the overlap between our memories of images from contemporary cinema
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
and our ‘real world’ experiences.
In the second series of paintings, Loeb delved into the dark psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
of memory and emotion. These more loosely rendered pieces addressed psychological themes such as perception, distortion, fear, and fantasy in the form of small landscapes.
The addition of these works to Loeb's oeuvre has lead critics to describe him as a 21st century J. M. W. Turner
J. M. W. Turner
Joseph Mallord William Turner RA was an English Romantic landscape painter, watercolourist and printmaker. Turner was considered a controversial figure in his day, but is now regarded as the artist who elevated landscape painting to an eminence rivalling history painting...
.
2000 - 2004
After the appropriation series, Loeb embarked on a series of paintings based on stills from classic HorrorHorror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
and Science Fiction
Science fiction film
Science fiction film is a film genre that uses science fiction: speculative, science-based depictions of phenomena that are not necessarily accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial life forms, alien worlds, extrasensory perception, and time travel, often along with futuristic...
films. To create these works, he captured and digitally combined multiple stills which were then rendered as large oil paintings.
Many of the works take the form of extreme landscapes up to 14 feet long, engulfing one's field of view and
reproducing the atmospheric elements of the scene without the use of recognizable or iconic signifiers.
Early Work - 2000
Loeb's early works were based on collages culled from varied sources, including advertisements, magazines, television, and books. The resulting paintings depict unsettling scenes rendered in a highly representational, seamlessly multi-layered composition. The atmosphere in the finished works expresses a dreamlike and surreal state, as if painted from an emotional memory. They allude to the work of John William WaterhouseJohn William Waterhouse
John William Waterhouse was an English painter known for working in the Pre-Raphaelite style. He worked several decades after the breakup of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, which had seen its heydey in the mid-nineteenth century, leading him to have gained the moniker of "the modern Pre-Raphaelite"...
or Andrew Wyeth
Andrew Wyeth
Andrew Newell Wyeth was a visual artist, primarily a realist painter, working predominantly in a regionalist style. He was one of the best-known U.S. artists of the middle 20th century....
, with surreal components plucked from postmodern culture.
Much of this early work gained him notoriety for his appropriation of images from contemporary media sources, and his paintings were the subject of several lawsuits brought by photographers over issues of copyright infringement
Copyright infringement
Copyright infringement is the unauthorized or prohibited use of works under copyright, infringing the copyright holder's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works.- "Piracy" :...
. In 2004, controversy led to the removal of one of his paintings, Blow Job (The Three Little Boys) from a show at the University of Hartford
University of Hartford
The University of Hartford is a private, independent, nonsectarian, coeducational university located in West Hartford, Connecticut. The degree programs at the University of Hartford hold the highest levels of accreditation available in the US, including the Engineering Accreditation Commission of...
.