Julie Heffernan's monumental blooms tackle climate anxiety at Hirschl & Adler Modern
Nutmeg’s Curse, the second solo show by Julie Heffernan at Hirschl & Adler Modern, showcases six new large-scale artworks. Heffernan draws inspiration from Old Master techniques, including Northern Renaissance and Dutch genre painting, as well as the Hudson River School, to explore modern themes of identity, the body, and environmental concerns. The exhibition's title alludes to Amitav Ghosh's critique regarding the spice trade's impact on the climate crisis, which inspired Heffernan to reexamine Dutch still-life art and transform it dramatically. While traditional Dutch artists depicted botanicals with meticulous trompe l'oeil detail, Heffernan challenges this norm by merging still life with self-portraiture and grand floral arrangements.
Key facts
- Hirschl & Adler Modern presents Nutmeg’s Curse, Julie Heffernan’s second solo exhibition with the gallery.
- The exhibition includes six new paintings.
- Heffernan engages Old Masters traditions to address contemporary preoccupations with the self, the body, and ecological anxiety.
- Her influences include Northern Renaissance artists, Dutch genre painting, the Hudson River School, literature, mythology, and Catholic iconography.
- The exhibition title comes from Amitav Ghosh's critique connecting the spice trade to the climate crisis.
- Ghosh's book changed Heffernan's view of Dutch still-life paintings.
- Heffernan redefines the Dutch still-life convention of trompe l'oeil precision.
- The paintings are dramatically scaled and feature monumental blooms.
Entities
Artists
- Julie Heffernan
- Amitav Ghosh
Institutions
- Hirschl & Adler Modern