What happens when hyper-ornate patterning, architectural schematics, and existential inquiries intersect on canvas? For Los Angeles–based artist Lari Pittman, painting is a generous, highly generative site of reclamation. In an era increasingly dominated by virtual speed and digital detachment, Pittman turns to complex analog craftsmanship as an antidote—a visual remedy for spatial and temporal anxieties.
At Lehmann Maupin’s Chelsea space on West 24th Street, Lari Pittman: The Remedy of Analog Space and Time debuts a striking new suite of large-scale paintings and intricate works on paper. The exhibition showcases Pittman’s signature aesthetic: dense, vibrant, and razor-sharp compositions that balance decorative mastery with profound psychological and social critique.
Ornamental Abundance and Analog Resistance
For over four decades, Lari Pittman has stood as a singular voice in contemporary American painting, renowned for bringing pattern, decoration, sign-making, and narrative complexity into rigorous dialogue.
In The Remedy of Analog Space and Time, Pittman foregrounds the physical process of making as a slow, intentional act. His compositions invite viewers to linger, deciphering layered histories, domestic motifs, and architectural forms that resist quick digital consumption.
The exhibition underscores several key artistic inquiries:
- Analog Space vs. Digital Velocity: Reasserting the physical canvas as a space for slow looking, tactile depth, and complex optical discoveries.
- Symbolic & Ornamental Systems: Integrating diverse visual vocabularies—including heraldic emblems, domestic interiors, Victorian ornament, and graphic signage—to map human emotion and vulnerability.
- The Architecture of Healing: Constructing intricate visual frameworks that function as metaphorical remedies or sanctuaries against contemporary chaos.
The result is a visually commanding, intellectually layered presentation that highlights Pittman’s unwavering commitment to the transformative power of painting.
Key Visual Highlights & Exhibition Details
1. Monumental Multi-Panel Canvases
Sweeping paintings filled with sharp geometric grids, intricate floral motifs, and stylized architectural silhouettes, layered in rich jewel tones and high-contrast color palettes.
2. Complex Works on Paper
Intricate drawings on paper that highlight Pittman’s meticulous line work, graphic precision, and masterly use of matte and glossy surfaces.
3. Spatial & Symbolic Topographies
Works that weave together interior and exterior spaces, framing domestic objects and abstract forms within theater-like stages and schematic diagrams.
Why This Exhibition Matters
Lari Pittman: The Remedy of Analog Space and Time reaffirms Pittman’s status as one of the most inventive and influential painters working today. By asserting the rich potential of analog art-making, Pittman offers gallery visitors a compelling space for reflection, focus, and visual wonder.
For collectors, curators, and contemporary painting enthusiasts navigating Chelsea, this exhibition at Lehmann Maupin is an essential stop on the New York art calendar.
Exhibition & Visitor Details
- Exhibition Title: Lari Pittman: The Remedy of Analog Space and Time
- Artist: Lari Pittman
- Venue: Lehmann Maupin
- Address: 501 West 24th Street, Chelsea, New York, NY 10011
- Admission: Free and open to the public
- Hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
