Angst and Contempt: New Painting

Kharis Kennedy, Dana Kotler, Stacy Leigh, Melita Osheowitz, Sarah Sagarin

Pen + Brush is pleased to present Angst and Contempt: New Painting, an exhibition that highlights the work of five early career artists navigating the grim realities of today’s world through the context of contemporary painting.

The artists featured in Angst and Contempt put their practice as painters to the test by addressing issues of disillusionment, nihilism, and frustration in a way that demonstrates new ways of expressing the human condition and its darkest facets. They have mastered a command that revisits German Expressionist, Modernist, Surrealist, and Weimar Republic eras while employing their own authentic gestures that often reflect on personal histories and experiences. The work challenges viewers to confront a loss of innocence, or perhaps a loss of empathy, that becomes inherent in living in today’s society.

While this exhibition does not overtly explore thematic links to one particular historical movement, it is notable that much like their predecessors, these contemporary painters are also creating during a time period of extreme social and political turmoil.