Stanley Lewis's Material Paintings Transform Everyday Scenes at Betty Cuningham Gallery

Stanley Lewis's exhibition at Betty Cuningham Gallery from September 7 to October 25, 2014 presents paintings and drawings that transform mundane subjects through a physically intensive process. His works, including pieces like "Boat on the Beach, Lake Chautauqua" (2013) and "Backyard Jeykll Island, GA" (2014), feature suburban scenes and landscapes reworked with a sculptural approach. Lewis builds up cloth and paint by cutting and repositioning canvas, leaving visible staples, gaps, and scars that highlight his method. This technique creates a tension between observational accuracy and material density, shifting focus from the depicted world to the artist's experience of looking and making. The show includes larger works where spatial adjustments fragment the whole, as seen in "Winslow Park, Westport" (2010-2014) and "Matt Farnham's Farm with Truck" (2014). A standout is the paper bas-relief "Hemlock Trees Seen from Upstairs Window in the Snow" (2007-2014), which uses carved print paper to capture a snowy landscape with an eerie light. Lewis's work draws comparisons to School of London artists like Frank Auerbach and Leon Kossoff, as well as contemporary figures such as Dawn Clements and Mike and Doug Starn, all sharing an interest in fragment-based realism. The gallery is located at 15 Rivington Street in New York City.