Monique Johannet's 'Intimations' Exhibition at The Painting Center Features Text-Image Works

Monique Johannet presented 'Intimations' at The Painting Center's project space from October 30 to November 24, 2018. Located at 547 West 27th Street #500 in New York City, the exhibition featured seven paintings, sculptures, and drawings combining text with pop aesthetics. Johannet's work translates personal and emotional themes into graphic icons, developed over two decades with mordant humor and social critique. The exhibition included pieces like 'Pink Inch; Pink Yard' (2013), which plays on Henri Matisse's color theory and references gender iconography. 'He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not' (2011) resembles child's letter blocks spelling the title on pink cubes. 'Sorry… So?' (2014) is a large diptych with speech bubbles exploring apology dynamics, recalling Samuel Beckett or Edward Albee's dialogues. A sculptural piece from 2011 features a white wood panel with the phrase 'A HOLE THAT NEEDS TO BE FEELED' cut out, parodying essentialist tropes. 'Cuntrol Freak' (2012) and 'Jerk' (2012) form a pairing addressing gender dynamics, with hair affixed to script and a jewelry chain spelling titles. The final work, 'Silent Treatment' (2018), includes jingle bells wired to canvas spelling the title. Johannet's art shares affinities with contemporary artists Rochelle Feinstein, Suzanne McClelland, and Michelle Vaughan, emphasizing language materialized in physical form.