by #LizPublika
Over the last few years, I’ve gotten to write about the art of Fahren Feingold on more than one occasion. Usually, the articles announced an upcoming show or highlighted a specific exhibition in which her work was featured. But, last October, I was informed that the artist — who was, at the time, experiencing a quick ascend into the upper echelons of the art world — passed away of cancer at the young age of 43. A tragic reality.Â
At the time, I felt that I was fairly acquainted with her portfolio; she made a name for herself via her focus on the female form via the female gaze, and nudes specifically. Mostly painted in watercolor, they were airy and hyper feminine, and had a quiet but defiant hint of punk. In other words, there was little to dislike, provided you see women as people who own their sexualities, and not people to be owned sexually.Â
She was an advocate for women, equality, love and respect. That is what guided her paintbrush across the canvas. And I believed that I had a good sense of who she was. But now that I’ve had the chance to see the work she left behind, I am not sure I knew the depth of her character or her art, at all. Ethereal Legacy: The Art of Fahren Feingold, a retrospective solo exhibition presented by The Untitled Space, reveals something new.Â
Opening tomorrow (May 11th) and on view until May 31st, the exhibition — curated by Indira Cesarine, founder of The Untitled Space — features over 50 never-before-seen paintings from the estate of artist Fahren Feingold (1980-2023). Many of these reveal a side of the artist I was not familiar with. And I supposed that’s how it goes, as there is the side we show, and the side we save for ourselves, until and if we decide to share it.
The paintings I’m referring to are the close-up portraits. To me, Feingold’s nudes, the ones I’ve previously covered and which have appeared in previous shows, came across as rebellious; they were defiant and overt, bold and free. These works, however, are controlled, intentional, and vulnerable. The defiance is in the sincerity. And while the portraits are of other people, we see them through her gaze, not as they are. Â
Through the filter of her gaze, Feingold reveals a different side of her artistic vision. Here, she captures a mix of emotions, feelings, and expressions that partly belong to her subjects, but mainly belong to her. Perhaps she recognized her own emotions in other people and channeled them onto her canvas. Perhaps not. But it would be amiss to say that these works say more about the people she painted than Feingold herself.Â
Represented by The Untitled Space since 2017, Feingold was featured in over 30 exhibitions presented by the gallery including 6 solo shows, The Untitled Space continues to represent the artist’s estate, with proceeds from future sales of her work to support some of the women’s charities she held dear, including feminist.org and equalitynow.org. The show opens tomorrow, but its impact may stay with you long after.
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