With ‘In the Guts of the Living,’ Elizabeth Neel Translates the Language of History Into the Art of the Present
Like many of us, Elizabeth Neel has been confronting a “crisis of faith.” “What are we doing, and why are we doing it?” she asks. For Neel, that question — and her ongoing movement toward an answer — is reflected through painting. Her newest exhibition of work, “In the Guts of the Living,” offers an exploration of how information is transferred and transformed. The show is on view through early April at Jack Shainman Gallery’s New York flagship. And what better place to think about the ways in which interiority shifts over time than within a former bank? Unlike the white cube spaces of many galleries, Jack Shainman’s Lafayette Street location occupies a former Beaux-Arts bank hall within the historic Clock Tower building. The main exhibition room features a soaring ceiling and ornate marble architectural details that predate its identity as a gallery — remnants that Neel invites into her work. “My interest in history is very served by this space,” she says. Installation view ...