Peter Malone Discusses Portraiture and Artistic Responsibility in Solo Exhibition Interview

Peter Malone's solo show at Blue Mountain Gallery in Chelsea is on display until February 21. Since 2011, he has dedicated himself to portraiture, steering clear of modern clichés. Malone's subjects connect with the audience directly, avoiding typical photographic styles and deep shadows, opting instead for a blend of warm and cool lighting. He criticizes prominent institutions like the Whitney, MoMA, and the New Museum for their disregard for painting, particularly targeting MoMA's "The Forever Now" exhibition. Malone argues that the art scene is dominated by academic credentials that prioritize established theories over innovative ideas. Previously, he explored painterly abstraction and Minimalism before transitioning to representational art. He draws on Lewis Hyde's 1983 work "The Gift." Jeanne Wilkinson's piece will appear in the April issue of Columbia: A Journal of Literature and Arts' online magazine.