Since I am fascinated by the concept of serial imagery, I went to see Peter Dreher’s show at the the Koenig & Clinton Gallery in Chelsea. I am pleased to tell you that I loved this show, felt it rightfully earned its star status in the New York Times, and am still thinking about it long after the show came down.
It was a quiet and subtle show but somehow very effective and powerful in its simplicity. The name of the show, “Day by Day, Good Day”, is rooted in Zen Buddhism’s meditative and contemplative approach to the world and everything in it. For over 40 years, Dreher painted over 5,000 glasses at different times of day, and 150 of them were shown here. Each work in the series is exquisitely painted.
When I entered the exhibit, I went right for the wall of glasses above. My daughter, Bonnie, on the other hand, let the row of glasses draw her around the room.
Some are painted during the day, some at night. This one captures an intriguing reflection that made me think of sunset.
Markedly different in tonality, this group was painted at night.
If you look closely above the glass, you can see how the artist scratched a unique code into the wet oil paint on every canvas.
Dreher himself says that painting the glass “is the only place and the only hours in my life when I really feel quiet. Maybe I don’t make the impression of being unquiet, but I am.” While I agree with him, I also felt really quiet and present while experiencing this show, which is maybe what made it such a gift.
What do you think?
