Peter Schenck | Carnival

Painting is an illusion, a piece of magic, so what you see is not what you see. - Philip Guston

The colorful cartoon-like figures that populate this current body of work are made up of faces and bodies that have been torn apart and re-configured. Roughly torn and hard edge lines mimic the collage techniques that made up the experimental studies for these larger works. Hands are another key focus, grasping for something just out of reach or acting as shields to protect these other worldly beings from what awaits them just outside the picture’s edge. Eye balls are painted as simple dark circles, conveying fear, sadness and surprise. Mouths are often open with clenched teeth showing, another defense against potential foes, or simply agape with astonishment. These strange constructions incorporate human instincts for attention seeking and for camouflage.

Carnival is Schenck's first exhibition with Planthouse.

Planthouse, 55 West 28th, Street, New York, NY 10001