on canvas, 48 x 42 inches
Contributed by Milan Michaud / Anna T. Gregor’s paintings, recently shown at D·D·D·D· Pictures, have a way of changing as they are pondered. Although their strategically shattered composition makes it initially unclear whether they are observational, she does paint from life, albeit by way of distorted mirrors, while also engaging with art history. Rendered in oil paint, rabbit skin glue, tempera, shellac, marble dust, metal leaf, the paintings seem to fold and bend as decorative shapes abruptly give way to convincing depth before conceding images. At that point, the historical paintings stamped into the work also become vaguely apparent. In After the Annunciation, for example, there is a graphic specter of Philip Guston’s early work Martial Memory. Both trick the eye into experiencing depth and flatness simultaneously and substantively reference transformative events.
on panel, 37 x 31 inches
40 1/8 x 32 1/4 inches
The essential task Gregor undertakes is to freely push and pull space while maintaining a consistent rhythm. The bending and warping in Don’t Look Back (After the Burning of Sodom) or After Mademoiselle V…in the Costume of an Espada recall cubist manipulations of perspective. A variety of shapes and represented objects appear, only to quickly disappear. At the same time, she selectively imparts a grounding realism to her work: a power strip, a piece of tape with writing, implied household objects. In After the Annunciation, blue forms ascend towards one another, like minute particles in the beam of a lamp. Wisps of figures and shapes are drawn over other parts of the painting. The most distinct of these is a figure on the right side and what looks like part of a cathedral arch above it. In the lower left there seems to be a table with a wall behind it, duly affording the painting structure.
oil paint on canvas. 36 x 71 inches
oil paint on canvas. 65 x 55 inches
Gregor’s ability to juggle the priorities of both an observational and an intellectual artist demonstrates what effective painting can hold: opportunities for viewers to explore painted surfaces in full and arrive at their own conclusions, informed but not restricted by art-historical allusion.
“Anna T. Gregor: Collected Essays,” D·D·D·D· Pictures, 79 Leonard Street, New York, NY. September 9–October 10, 2026.
About the author: Milan Michaud is a Brooklyn-based painter.
