Carter Flacbarth's 'Tales From the Freezer' at Martha's: Cinematic Paintings Embrace Restriction

Carter Flacbarth, a painter from Atlanta, showcases his new exhibition titled "Tales From the Freezer" at Martha's gallery in Austin, Texas. This collection features ten smaller works that intertwine elements of cinematic storytelling with personal recollections. Flacbarth's distinctive approach is characterized by elongated hands, skewed perspectives, and emotionally detached figures, mirroring the frenetic pace of modern life. His artistic process is informed by a rich repository of screenshots, comic books, personal memories, and references from art history, resulting in psychologically intense scenes that blur the line between film stills and real-life experiences. The exhibition's name alludes to filmmaker Roy Andersson's concept of painting as a medium that can "freeze" emotions in time. In a conversation with Whitewall, Flacbarth shares insights on artistic labor, the impact of historical artists like Van Eyck and Albrecht Dürer, and his intentional exploration of constraints in the digital era. He highlights the significance of tangible human effort in the face of advancing AI and plans to experiment with film and photography to merge his life moments with found media. Featured works include "The Things That Fly and Float," "The Harvest," "The Predawn Dark," and "The Hole in the Heavens," all dated 2026.