Maxwell Stevens' Surfside Paintings at Onetwentyeight, New York
Maxwell Stevens showcases his latest artwork in the exhibition titled Surfside, New Paintings, hosted at ONETWENTYEIGHT, located at 128 Rivington Street, New York, from January 9, 2026, to November 10, 2026. The exhibition highlights the Surfside series, which illustrates individuals lost in thought on the beach. Notable pieces include Surfside (2024), Weekenders, Memorial Day (2025), Summer Daydream (2025), and Surfer Girl (2025). Influenced by Erving Goffman's concept of civil inattention and Maurice Merleau-Ponty's embodied vision, Stevens’ work also references Joaquín Sorolla's seaside imagery and Henri Matisse's painting theories. Abstract elements disrupt the visuals, as evident in Blue Surfer (2026) and Surfer Girl (2025). The soft-focus pieces from 2024 push figurative boundaries to their chromatic extremes. The exhibition is promoted through the artist's website and the gallery's online platforms.
Key facts
- Maxwell Stevens: Surfside, New Paintings runs 9 January 2026 – 10 November 2026 at ONETWENTYEIGHT, 128 Rivington Street, New York, NY 10002.
- The exhibition features large-scale paintings including Surfside (2024), Weekenders, Memorial Day (2025), Summer Daydream (2025), and Surfer Girl (2025).
- Stevens references Erving Goffman's Relations in Public (1971) and the concept of civil inattention.
- Maurice Merleau-Ponty's The Visible and the Invisible (1964) informs the embodied role of color in the work.
- Joaquín Sorolla's coastal paintings, such as Children on the Beach (1909), are cited as a dialogue with Stevens' practice.
- Henri Matisse's 1948 letter to Henry Clifford, The Effortlessness of Painting, is invoked regarding apparent ease and hidden labor.
- Blue Surfer (2026) and Surfer Girl (2025) are discussed for their gestural density and monumental presence.
- The 2024 soft-focus works include Soft Focus Beach Scene (Pink Sky at Dusk), (Pink & Orange), (Sunbathers), and (Self Portrait with Orange Umbrella).
Entities
Artists
- Maxwell Stevens
- Joaquín Sorolla
- Henri Matisse
- Erving Goffman
- Maurice Merleau-Ponty
- Roland Barthes
- Georges Didi-Huberman
- Henry Clifford
Institutions
- ONETWENTYEIGHT
- Juliet Art Magazine
- Museo del Prado
Locations
- New York
- United States
- Valencia
- Spain
- Vence
- France