LATE AMERICA showcases a series of Eric Fischl’s swimming pool paintings. Now on view at Skarstedt in Chelsea through June 24.
Eric Fischl—the artist behind the controversial sculpture Tumbling Woman after the 9/11 attacks—presents us with five new paintings. This time, his paintings unanimously revolve around the setting of a kempt swimming pool, “The swimming pool is a microcosm in itself,” the artist explains. His insistence on the setting feels appropriate with the uncomfortably hot summer months hanging over us; but instead of the leisurely atmosphere typically associated with pools, his paintings take on a rather sinister attitude on the subject. There’s something in each of his paintings that cause a slight jolt or disconnect, but this is precisely Fischl’s intention as an artist. He revels in fragmentation and discomfort.
Fischl is conscious and preoccupied with the connotations of his identity as an upper class white male. Consequently, his artworks examine the strange details of white culture and the arbitrary privileges of his social class. The background of the swimming pool depicts a luxurious, comfortable lifestyle: accentuated by the bright green grass, white lounge chairs, and the glimpses of beautiful homes. Fischl admits having a pool was a symbol of wealth while he was growing up; he draws from the staples of his own life, “Stay with what you know,” is a sort of mantra for the artist.
Eric Fischl, Feeding the Turtle, 2016. Courtesy of the artist and Skarstedt, New York.
Although Fischl stays in the realm of his own familiarity, he attaches a subtle strangeness to the compositions that offer critique of his particular society of the white upper middle class. LATE AMERICA was started during the 2016 presidential election and through the election results—and although series is not entirely a political statement, themes of confusion and turmoil are reflected in the paintings. The intense tones of green and blue provoke a sense of uneasiness, tension, and anxiety. The characters themselves embody these qualities as well, with their enigmatic facial expressions questionable actions. In Feeding the Turtle, a woman is caught in mid-action pouring a drink on a child, who is feeding a turtle, a creature completely out of its natural environment. The oddity is manifold.
The background of the swimming pool stays consistent, yet the characters and their drama shift throughout the canvases. The artist works from collages of his own photographs; the woman in Daddy’s Gone, Girl and Finding the Turtle are illustrations based on his own photographs of Brooke Shields, who modeled specifically for the series. The featured scenarios aren’t already imagined or preset, Fischl gives his models the freedom to bring a fictional character to life. “There are no real answers to these paintings,” he suggests, “Your guess is as good as mine.”
Eric Fischl, Daddy’s Gone, Girl, 2016. Courtesy of the artist and Skarstedt, New York.
