R. H. Quaytman's 'chapter 12: iamb' at Miguel Abreu Gallery explores painting, photography, and perception

R. H. Quaytman presented 'chapter 12: iamb' at Miguel Abreu Gallery in New York City from December 14, 2008 to February 1, 2009. The exhibition featured 14 meticulously crafted panels that function as a couplet in iambic heptameter, with each work acting as a metrical foot. Quaytman employs a painting-silkscreen hybrid technique, recalling Warhol's use of mass-produced forms and 'diamond dust' for sparkle. A recurring motif of a reading light appears throughout, often illuminating grid-based works inadequately, blurring distinctions between painting and photography. One notable piece, Chapter 12: iamb (Fresnell lens), uses concentric rings and ground glass to create optical effects, referencing 19th-century lens technology. The show includes both source paintings, such as grids with subtle moiré patterns or Golden Section proportions, and derivative works depicting those sources in situ. In Chapter 12: iamb (blind smile), Dan Graham is shown in a trance-like state viewing a panel, evoking themes of perception and light. Quaytman, a former director of the defunct Orchard gallery, addresses issues of production, legibility, and the nature of images through these works.