Dona Nelson's Interactive Paintings at Thomas Erben Gallery Explore Figure and Materiality

From March 23 to May 13, 2017, the Thomas Erben Gallery in New York City is hosting an exhibition by Dona Nelson, featuring her latest interactive creations. Having relocated to New York fifty years ago, Nelson was the sole female participant in the Whitney Program. She produces two-sided, free-standing canvases, such as Lavender Lion (2016) and Hägar (2017), which utilize poured paint, gels, and colored strings to investigate interactions between the front and back. Her artwork draws on historical references, including a 1951 Vogue feature with Jackson Pollock's drip paintings, and resonates with figures like Hélio Oiticica and post-minimalists. Influences from artists like Pierre Bonnard, Myron Stout, and Paul Cézanne are apparent, with Cold Busy Street (1984) foreshadowing her current juxtapositions.