In order to fully apprehend Elise Ferguson’s sensational new paintings, viewers must make a trip to Greenpoint this weekend; looking at JPEGs just won’t do. Crafted from pigmented plaster on MDF panels, Ferguson’s work, which she begins with images drawn on the computer, has the flat, porous surface of a plaster wall and the warmth of an old fresco.
At every turn, she seems to court imperfection, from the jagged layered edges to the sketchy geometric shapes and concentric lines screenprinted in pigmented plaster on the surfaces.
In fact, she manages an impressive feat of integration. These mid-size panels are both grounded and lofty � handmade and intimate but somehow also monumental. In her statement for the show, Ferguson writes of her fascination with materials and her desire to make objects that are cerebral and physical, on one hand, and lushly optical, on the other. She succeeds resoundingly. Don’t miss the show. It’s only open on Sunday.
“Elise Ferguson, Flippity,” 106 Green, Greenpoint, Brooklyn, NY. Through October 15.
