Angela Fraleigh. Photo by Wes Heiss, courtesy of the artist.
Angela Fraleigh brings the work of the Old Masters into the 21st century with gorgeously rendered figures that seemed plucked from classical Western art history, which she paints against colorful abstract backgrounds rife with references to design traditions.
For “Fluttering Still,” her first New York solo show in over a decade, which is on view at Hirschl & Adler Modern, Fraleigh has overlaid elements pulled from turn-of-the-century illustrations by pioneering female designers Ethel Reed and Gerda Wegener atop images of women painted at life size.
Ahead of last month’s opening, we spoke with Fraleigh about her recent inspirations, what she listens to in the studio, and the art-historical research behind her latest works.
Design by Ingrid Frahm
Part of staying fulfilled (and sane) during the pandemic is about finding and participating in things you love. Fittingly, February’s culture lineup is stacked with a diverse assortment of in-person and virtual events that will make your heart sing. Among them: an out-of-this-world comedy variety show, stunning choreographic premieres, an innovative art fair scattered across New York, and a Zoom reunion reading of a play written by Tony Award winner Billy Porter. To round it all out, the Met Opera will be presenting two weeks of free nightly streams of performances starring legendary African-American performers in honor of Black History Month.
Outsider Art Fair, Smaller This Year, but a Model for the Future
A scaled-back lineup includes Daniel Johnston’s colorfully nightmarish drawings, plus chunky clay cameras and quilts as abstract as anything in the MoMA.
At Electric Lady Studios, in New York City, an installation view of drawings by Daniel Johnston, the rock star and artist who died in 2019.Credit.Olya Vysotskaya
By Will Heinrich
Jan. 28, 2021
This year’s Outsider Art Fair is a stripped-down and deconstructed one, just seven curated shows spread across four Manhattan galleries and one famous recording studio. (There are also 45 online viewing rooms if you like that sort of thing.)