Isabelle Bscher’s Galerie Gmurzynska hosted an Artist Reception for Anh Duong’s new exhibition, “The Incoherences Of A Gentlewoman,” at their New York location at 43 E. 78th Street. This showcase brought together over 20 captivating works, each a testament to Duong’s unparalleled talent.
“The Incoherences Of A Gentlewoman” serves as a testament to Duong’s unwavering commitment to her craft and her ability to transcend artistic boundaries. Each piece in the exhibition offers a glimpse into the artist’s psyche, inviting viewers on a journey of introspection and revelation. As one navigates through the intricacies of Duong’s work, they are confronted with a rich tapestry of emotions and narratives, each painting a reflection of the human experience in all its complexity. Among the pieces showcased were “Between Epicureanism and Stoicism” (2022), “The Melancholy of Impotence” (2021), “Without Obsession I am Lost” (2022), and “The Gentlewoman or the Aggravation of our Incoherences” (2022), all rendered meticulously on canvas with oil. Those in attendance included actor George Hamilton, a Fashion Designer. Thom Browne; Founder of The Cinema Society, Andrew Saffir; Writer and Socialite Derek Blasberg; Journalist and Socialite Christopher Mason; and Michael Jackson’s former stylist, Rushka Bergman.
Duong (b. 1960, Bordeaux, France) is a globally renowned artist whose work belongs to public collections, including the National Portrait Gallery (Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D.C.) and the Statue of Liberty Museum, New York. The latter of which commissioned Duong to create 50 sculpted stars for their new museum entrance in 2019. Duong’s work is also collected by filmmakers, artists, architects and designers ranging from Patrick Painter to Bruno Bischofberger, Simon de Pury, Dennis Hopper Spyros Niarchos, and Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana. Duong is known for her portraits, with her depictions of Susan Sarandon, Christian Louboutin, Vincent Gallo, Karen Elson and Anjelica Huston standing out among the rest. Many of these portraits are on display in the new show, which spans the breadth of Duong’s portraiture.
There is a characteristic fleshiness to Duong’s portraits that is distinct from the Neo-Expressionist thickets of Jenny Saville’s brushwork and the flat roseate nudes of Maureen Dougherty’s sprightly fêtes galantes. Duong’s paintings are executed in a veristic style and are theatrical in substance. There is also a cinematic quality to Duong’s use of light and her composition, her splinter scenes rife with narratives attested to by her titles (e.g., The Gentlewoman or the Aggravation of our Incoherences, 2022; Between Epicureanism; Apres la Dispute (After the fight), 2006; and Stoicism, 2022). More often than not, Duong’s subjects are women. Though they might flaunt the vaudeville garb of an 18th-century empress donned in russet-curled wigs and half-sheeted in knight’s armor, as in The Impossible Gender Frontiers (2022), Duong’s women are palpably real and contemporary. Their playful attire and how lamplight or the sun’s rays bounce through the furrows of their skin, revealing pocks and ridges. The artist’s most consistent motif changes in proportion, setting, and age. A confessional nature characterizes Duong’s work, which alternates between portraits, self-portraits, and still lifes featuring resplendent plants, bejeweled pumps, and empty paint tubes.
Established in Cologne, Germany, in 1965 and now situated in a striking edifice at Paradeplatz in Zurich, Switzerland, Galerie Gmurzynska stands as a globally recognized institution celebrated for its museum-grade presentations and meticulously curated showcases. Expanding its reach, the gallery unveiled a branch in New York’s esteemed Upper East Side in 2018, nestled amidst the prestigious cultural bastions of The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Frick Madison. Seamlessly blending tradition with modernity, this locale embodies a harmonious convergence within a historic district renowned for its distinguished cultural landmarks. Leveraging enduring partnerships with these institutions and maintaining a research-centric approach, Galerie Gmurzynska boasts a repertoire of over 300 catalogs dispersed across libraries worldwide. Through its acclaimed exhibitions and pivotal contributions to museum retrospectives, the gallery continues to shape the contemporary art landscape with unparalleled distinction.
Published by: Martin De Juan
