Janiva Ellis is presenting solo exhibition Lick Shot at New York’s 47 Canal, running June 30 to August 4.
The new series of paintings by the Los Angeles-based artist moves between cartoon moments of absurdity and realistic portraiture. The press release, written by writer and curator Kevin McGarry and Ellis, describe the work as “a series of glimpses into the divine comedy of existing in a world where pain is met with doubt; into dynamics that are blatant and never-ending, yet consistently denied their truth.”
Spiralling events create a sense of playfulness, while at the same time a decaying moment of collision and falling run throughout, “like a shot fired from a dream, laughter in the dark, or an underwater scream.”**