Kris Scheifele's 'Fade' Exhibition at Janet Kurnatowski Gallery Features Peeled Paintings

Kris Scheifele's solo exhibition 'Fade' at Janet Kurnatowski Gallery ran from September 7 to October 7, 2012, located at 205 Norman Ave in Brooklyn. The show presented thirteen intimately sized paintings, all but one created in 2012, continuing her exploration from the 2008-2011 Contortion series. Scheifele's process involves layering acrylic paint with polymer binder on wood panels, then removing the encrusted surface with a box-cutter to create flexible, hanging straps. These works, suspended by nails piercing the acrylic slabs without frames, evoke associations with equestrian gear and S&M apparatus while emphasizing materiality and gravity. Pieces like 'Hate Fade' and 'Summer Fade' display contrasting elements—violence versus brightness—with exposed underlayers adding a subdued sensuality. The exhibition highlights Scheifele's mature, methodical approach since graduating from Pratt Institute in 2009, blending playful effervescence with procedural rigor. Her installation encourages a performative quality, as temperature and time affect the drooping forms, questioning when a painting is finished. Works such as 'Money Fade' and 'Quiet Fade' further explore antithetical tensions between grotesque and charming beauty, hinting at themes beyond formalist constraints.