Christine Hartman's First Solo Exhibition at Bowery Gallery Features Still Life and Interior Paintings

Christine Hartman presented her inaugural solo exhibition at Bowery Gallery in New York City, running until October 1, 2005. The show featured nine medium-to-large paintings and twenty graphite drawings depicting still lifes and interiors with subjects including cats, fruit, books, pitchers, and occasional figures. Hartman's work emphasizes formal investigation over socio-political commentary, with paintings like The Red Cloth focusing on the visual presence of objects through color and composition. Each painting was accompanied by one to four preparatory drawings containing working notes and marginal sketches. The exhibition included works such as Jackie, featuring a cat emerging from behind a shutter, and Still Life with Pumpkin. Hartman's approach references traditional painting concerns rather than contemporary trends, with comparisons drawn to Chardin's compositional hierarchies. The artist's method involves deliberate ordering of pictorial elements, sometimes employing exaggerated perspectives to enhance visual character.