Roy Dowell's Fourth Solo Show at Miles McEnery Gallery Features Uniform 24-by-18-Inch Paintings
Roy Dowell's latest solo exhibition, titled "Evidence to the Contrary," is currently on display at Miles McEnery Gallery in New York until October 31, 2026. Jacob Cartwright, writing for Two Coats of Paint, highlights the exhibition's cohesive installation of uniform 24-by-18-inch paintings. The artist employs Flashe paint on linen over panel, reminiscent of homemade gameboards, which adds a whimsical touch. Cartwright draws parallels between Dowell's creations and folk art traditions, mentioning influences from Marsden Hartley and R.E.M.'s takes on self-taught artistry. Dowell, who founded the graduate fine arts program at Otis in 1990, presents works such as untitled #1278 (2024) and untitled #1283 (2024), showcasing his talent with intricate motifs.
Key facts
- "Roy Dowell: Evidence to the Contrary" is Roy Dowell's fourth solo exhibition at Miles McEnery Gallery since 2020.
- The exhibition is on view at 520 West 21st Street, New York, NY, through October 31, 2026.
- Dowell consistently used a 24-by-18-inch support for the new paintings, unlike earlier works that varied in size and generally topped out around five feet on the longer side.
- The paintings are made with Flashe (vinyl emulsion paint) on linen over panel.
- The review was contributed by Jacob Cartwright, a NYC-based painter and independent curator, for Two Coats of Paint.
- Dowell initiated the graduate fine arts department at Otis in 1990.
- Works on view include untitled #1278, untitled #1283, untitled #1296, untitled #1298, untitled #1276 (all 2024), carried into battle and untitled #1307 (both 2025), and untitled #1335 (2026).
- Cartwright compares Dowell's approach to Marsden Hartley's Berlin-period work and R.E.M.'s use of Howard Finster's art on 1980s record sleeves.
Entities
Artists
- Roy Dowell
- Jacob Cartwright
- Marsden Hartley
- Howard Finster
- R.E.M.
Institutions
- Miles McEnery Gallery
- Two Coats of Paint
- Otis
- Marsden Hartley Legacy
Locations
- New York
- United States
- Berlin
- Germany
- Mexico City
- Los Angeles