Nicole Eisenman's 'Al-ugh-ories' exhibition at New Museum explores corporeality and satire

From May 4 to June 26, 2016, the New Museum in New York presented 'Al-ugh-ories,' a survey exhibition of Nicole Eisenman's work. The show featured sculptures like Hanging Man (2016), a wood and wax piece on a wheeled table that references the children's game hangman while evoking bodily functions. Eisenman's paintings, including Night Studio (2009) and Dysfunctional Family (2009), reinterpret classical themes with contemporary elements, such as Vitamin Water bottles and extension cords. She visually critiques Sigmund Freud's Oedipus complex and mocks Michelangelo's human forms in Spring Fling (1996). The Triumph of Poverty (2009) directly references Hans Holbein the Younger and incorporates figures from Pieter Bruegel's The Parable of the Blind Men (1568). Eisenman's work confronts human corporeality through grotesque and caricatured figures, challenging norms of class, age, and gender. In Coping (2008), anonymous figures pass on a provincial street, while Selfie (2014) and I'm with Stupid (2001) explore self-inspection and normalcy. Her portraits capture everyday awkwardness and banalities, from nudes to intimate acts, using gaudy hues and surreal symbolism. Eisenman's allegories find meaning in mundane gestures, like stacks of books and cheap beer, comparing aesthetic traditions to contemporary conformity. Her forgiving gaze celebrates nonconventional identities, emphasizing joy and affection amid flaws.