Lari Pittman: Magic Realism
The Long Museum in Shanghai is pleased to present the first museum survey in Asia of work by celebrated Los Angeles-based painter Lari Pittman. Curated by Rochelle Steiner, Magic Realism features more than 30 paintings and drawings created over the past 12 years. The exhibition underscores the artist鈥檚 ongoing exploration in themes related to modern life, including regeneration and optimistic renewal in 21st century society. On this occasion, works from six key series will be brought together for the first time: Thought-Forms (2012); Nocturnes (2015); Iris Shots Opening and Closing (2020); Diorama and Vanitas (2021); Luminous: Cities with Egg Monuments (2022); and Sparkling City With Egg Monuments (2023). Opening on August 17, the exhibition sheds light on Pittman鈥檚 prolific output and the evolution of his work over the last decade. The exhibition will be accompanied by a fully illustrated publication with new texts about the artist and his work, in English and Mandarin.
In Magic Realism, the visual motif of eggs, which has appeared in Pittman's work since the mid-1980s, is seen consistently. The forms are integrated into nightscapes and cityscapes; they appear as monuments and as part of nature scenes, ready to hatch into life. Eggs are part of the artist's utopian perspective: a feminist and generative vision of the world rooted in the exuberance of life. Filled with eggs in a variety of sizes and guises, these paintings serve as love letters to the possibilities of life in the twenty-first century, including optimism and renewal.
鈥�Lari Pittman鈥檚 work reflects the exuberance of eras past and homes for future worlds,鈥� said Steiner, curator of the exhibition. 鈥淗is complex imagery brings ordered structures to contemporary ideas, which are presented through unique colors and forms. Lari鈥檚 work has left an indelible mark on the history of art, inspiring so many of his peers as well as a younger generation of artists, and it has been a true pleasure to work with him on his first museum survey in Asia.鈥�
Recommended for you
The Long Museum in Shanghai is pleased to present the first museum survey in Asia of work by celebrated Los Angeles-based painter Lari Pittman. Curated by Rochelle Steiner, Magic Realism features more than 30 paintings and drawings created over the past 12 years. The exhibition underscores the artist鈥檚 ongoing exploration in themes related to modern life, including regeneration and optimistic renewal in 21st century society. On this occasion, works from six key series will be brought together for the first time: Thought-Forms (2012); Nocturnes (2015); Iris Shots Opening and Closing (2020); Diorama and Vanitas (2021); Luminous: Cities with Egg Monuments (2022); and Sparkling City With Egg Monuments (2023). Opening on August 17, the exhibition sheds light on Pittman鈥檚 prolific output and the evolution of his work over the last decade. The exhibition will be accompanied by a fully illustrated publication with new texts about the artist and his work, in English and Mandarin.
In Magic Realism, the visual motif of eggs, which has appeared in Pittman's work since the mid-1980s, is seen consistently. The forms are integrated into nightscapes and cityscapes; they appear as monuments and as part of nature scenes, ready to hatch into life. Eggs are part of the artist's utopian perspective: a feminist and generative vision of the world rooted in the exuberance of life. Filled with eggs in a variety of sizes and guises, these paintings serve as love letters to the possibilities of life in the twenty-first century, including optimism and renewal.
鈥�Lari Pittman鈥檚 work reflects the exuberance of eras past and homes for future worlds,鈥� said Steiner, curator of the exhibition. 鈥淗is complex imagery brings ordered structures to contemporary ideas, which are presented through unique colors and forms. Lari鈥檚 work has left an indelible mark on the history of art, inspiring so many of his peers as well as a younger generation of artists, and it has been a true pleasure to work with him on his first museum survey in Asia.鈥�
Artists on show
Related articles
Curated by Rochelle Steiner, Magic Realism features more than 30 paintings and drawings created by celebrated Los Angeles-based painter Lari Pittman over the past 12 years.
Ahead of a survey at Shanghai's Long Museum, the storied Los Angeles artist said he hopes viewers of his paintings see 'a visual performance that wants to talk to them and doesn't hold back.'
What's on nearby
