Celeste Dupuy-Spencer's Final Paintings Confront Empire and Apocalypse at Jeffrey Deitch
At Jeffrey Deitch in New York, "Burning in the Eyes of the Maker," showcases the artwork of Celeste Dupuy-Spencer (1979–2026), who tragically passed away at 46 prior to the exhibition's opening. The display, located at 76 Grand Street, will be on view until October 31, 2026, but features fewer pieces than anticipated, with the significant work Don't You See That I Am Burning notably absent. Reviewer Margaret McCann draws parallels between the exhibition and themes from the Trump era and the events of September 11. Dupuy-Spencer, who utilized Abstract Expressionist techniques, highlighted loneliness as a source of inspiration. Important pieces include Render Unto (2025–26) and The Shape of the Rock That's Hurtling Towards the Sea (2022), while A Long Fracture Ruptured (2024) critiques Israel's reaction to the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.
Key facts
- Celeste Dupuy-Spencer lived 1979–2026 and died at 46.
- "Burning in the Eyes of the Maker" is on view at Jeffrey Deitch, 76 Grand Street, New York, through October 31, 2026.
- The exhibition title is taken from lyrics by Daniel Lanois.
- The show includes fewer of Dupuy-Spencer's colorful works, and Don't You See That I Am Burning, depicting January 6, is not included.
- The Shape of the Rock That's Hurtling Towards the Sea (2022) is oil on linen, 114 7/8 x 210 1/4 inches, and its central panel depicts Eileen Wournos.
- A Long Fracture Ruptured (Violation of Innocence) (2024) measures 85 x 85 inches.
- Dupuy-Spencer said she found it "hard to be a Marxist in the art world."
- The review is contributed by painter and writer Margaret McCann, who teaches at the Art Students League.
Entities
Artists
- Celeste Dupuy-Spencer
- Margaret McCann
- Daniel Lanois
- Georg Baselitz
- Dante
- Caspar David Friedrich
- Samuel Taylor Coleridge
- Walt Whitman
- Albrecht Altdorfer
- Giovanni Battista Piranesi
- Mario Sironi
- Giorgio de Chirico
- Otto Dix
- Eileen Wournos
- Pier Paolo Pasolini
- Ludwig Meidner
- Lovis Corinth
- R. Crumb
- Paul Nash
- Giovanni di Paolo
- Hieronymus Bosch
- Titian
- Friedrich Nietzsche
- Gerard Manley Hopkins
- Charles White
Institutions
- Jeffrey Deitch
- Art Students League
- Hyperallergic
- Two Coats of Paint
- Painters' Table
- Art New England
- La Repubblica
- Corriere della Sera
- Huffington Post
- New York Academy of Art
- Skira
- Rizzoli
- Antonia Jannone
- Phaidon
- Hamas
- JW Pictures
- Estate of Celeste Dupuy-Spencer
- Artspace
- New York Times
- Contemporary Art Review Los Angeles
Locations
- New York
- United States
- Milan
- Italy
- Israel
- Los Angeles
- Pompeii
- Gaza