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About
The body of work in “The Space We Take” was painted during the pandemic. In his previous work, Wackers has often focused on interior spaces and still lifes. Interior scenes are not a new subject matter to him. However, the paintings in this body of work do have more longing and confusion in them, and a certain compression of space that offers both a sanctuary and an accounting of objects in his domestic sphere.
SF/Arts Curator Insight
I recently installed slatted metal shelves across the window over my kitchen sink, which I populated with succulents of various sizes and shapes. The arrangement immediately reminded me of Paul Wackers, this poor man’s recreation of the domestic tableaux found in the artist’s still lifes. Painted in New York City during the pandemic, Wackers' seventh solo show with Harwood, takes a more contemplative tone. While the color palette has brightened, the show’s title is about both the space we are encouraged to take as well as the space we must leave (public, social, and for those who refuse to mask up) during a plague.
Mark Taylor
SF/Arts Curator
Eleanor Harwood Gallery