Colossal · Creativity & design

Sara Anstis' Pastels Blend Mythology, Dreams, and Renaissance Art

Artist Sara Anstis' solo exhibition "Pastels" at Olney Gleason features small-scale works that draw from mythology, dreams, and art history, particularly medieval and early Renaissance art.

Anstis' drawings depict figures in curious scenarios, hinting at mysterious narratives and symbolism. Her recent work uses a more muted palette, influenced by art historical figures like Fra Angelico and Hans Memling, evident in the stoic profiles of "The Horse Rider."

Motifs such as ermine, associated with Leonardo da Vinci, appear, alongside tributes to women's talents and motherhood, influenced by Paula Modersohn-Becker's "Self-Portrait at 6th Wedding Anniversary."

The medium of soft pastels is used to explore the blurred edges of dreams and folk stories, as seen in "Three heads in a bed," referencing a nursery rhyme.

Anstis places figures and symbolic objects in surreal settings, with some works resembling portraits and others featuring enigmatic narrative elements like disembodied arms in "The Milkman" or ancient "Lachrymatories" (tear bottles).

The gallery notes that Anstis' use of pastels creates an intimate touch, imbuing scenes with introspective intensity. Figures emotionally and physically connect with their activities, evoking an air of veneration.

The exhibition, on view through October 24 in New York City, tips its hat to the absurd and irrationality of dreams and imagination.

AI-samenvatting op basis van de bron.