About the Exhibition:
In Anthony Gallery’s latest group exhibition, Looks Can Be Deceiving, the distinction between objectivity and its representation collapses. The program considers nostalgia as a symptom of hyperreality, where paintings exist as idealized simulations that blur the lines between the real and the remembered.
In the digital age, representations and reproduction take precedence over the real. Calling upon this framework, participating artists investigate how nostalgia becomes a force for commodification that is amplified by late capitalism. Subjects like old movie stills, childhood toys, and retro brand revivals become poignant examples of how sentimental memory is weaponized to sell idealized simulations of the past. Paintings both exploit and yearn for eras that may have never existed, promising a return to simpler times by way of consumption.
Looks Can Be Deceiving is on view at Anthony Gallery at 1360 W. Lake Street from May 23rd to June 22nd, 2024.
