Merlin James Exhibition at Brent Sikkema Gallery Explores Painting's Memory Through Punctured Canvases

Merlin James's exhibition at Brent Sikkema Gallery in New York features canvases deliberately pierced with holes, exposing the wall behind or suggesting dark presences. Born in Wales in 1960, James represents a cerebral and emotional counterpoint to the YBA generation. He recently held the inaugural Alex Katz Chair in Painting at Cooper Union, delivering a lecture titled "Painting Per Se" that argues for medium specificity. James's work engages with a pantheon of "painters' painters" including Walter Richard Sickert, Giorgio Morandi, Gwen John, William Nicholson, and Alex Katz. His current paintings derive from mid-nineteenth century photographs by the Florentine agency Fratelli Alinari Fotografi Editori, depicting Italian artistic sites and landmarks. Unlike Gerhard Richter's deconstructive approach to painting, James maintains empathy and generosity toward painting's tradition. The exhibition reveals a newfound generosity in James's touch, using acrylic to avoid oil's lushness while embracing art-school color artifice. James's practice involves layering materials like hair into paint, creating works that feel "already damaged" and melancholic.