Dan's Papers - August 17, 2007 - All The More Real At The Parrish Art Museum

"All the More Real: Portrayals of Intimacy and Empathy," co-curated by Sag Harbor resident and major artist Eric Fischl, The Parrish Art Museum's Robert Lehman and curator Merrill Falkenberg, opened on Saturday, August 11, at the Parrish Art Museum in Southampton.

Fischl takes the awkward moments of human vulnerability - such as in "Krefeld Project, Dining Room Scene 2," where, immediately after intercourse, the man sips water and the woman curls herself up on a chair, her soft silhouette reflecting light - and heightens them with riveting power, often fascinating and overwhelming the viewer in an immensely pleasurable way. Growing up amidst "country club culture obsessed with image over content," Fischl was attracted to the disconnect between what could be said and what was experienced. Although Fishl does not show it in this exhibit, striking physicality and intimacy surface in his own art, making his role as first-time curator profoundly personal and authoritative.

Major artists such as Gustav Klimt, Lucien Freud and Chuck Close show alongside contemporary artists such as Loretta Lux and Jenny Saville. One sees an array of media, such as Tom Friedman's self portrait on an aspirin tablet and Jeff Hesser's oversized, beeswax head, which fuses the features of a baby and an old man to grotesque effect.

Revealing portraiture, the human form and the birthing process are intermingling themes explored in the show. Because the works dwell specifically on the human form, a visceral reaction often precedes aesthetic analysis of the piece. The viewer can assess the relative proximity of that piece to his/her own existence.

Freshly cut brown curls lie in a half-filled sink and on the bathroom counter in Catherine Murphy's painting, "Bathroom Sink." The scene is palpably private - we aren't meant to view it - it's titillating for this reason. A tiny reflection of the subject's actions are caught in their reflection on the faucet, stimulating curiosity in both how the viewer perceives the subject and how the subject perceives him or her self.

The back room, which houses the bulk of the portraits (although various portraits can be found in other groupings), is most successful because the light is brighter than it is in the other room. The stark white walls work well set against Evan Penny's hyperrealist silicone, aluminum, hair and pigment sculpture, "Back of Norb." Penny's piece tempts deep inspection - it is so lifelike, one wonders if life inhabits it - but no insight can be found by scrutinizing his physicality. Despite close looks at precise physical detail, the man remains unknowable. Karel Funk's "Untitled #1," hangs alongside Penny. A birds-eye view of a young man, his lips slightly parted and his eyes shielded by his hood evokes similar feelings of curiosity about the model - his mouth is fleshy and expressive, but he is anonymous.

Tierney Gearon explores age in two stills taken from her video The Mother Project. One depicts an elderly woman lifting her breasts, her adolescent niece or granddaughter in the background listening to music and the other an elderly man and a small boy carrying a tall pole near a pool. The juxtaposition of ages highlight both the strength and frailty of humans.

Perhaps the show's title misses in that empathy is not portrayed in, but produced by, the works. The pieces reveal moments and feelings, which one may find seductive or repugnant, but the range of reaction stirred is most memorable.

All the More Real runs through October 14. Visit www.parrishart.org for more information.