There’s something old and familiar in the paintings of Lausanne-born artist Nicolas Party. His new show at Hauser & Wirth New York, simply titled Swamp, feels like wandering through a dream, with tinges of arcane wisdom and occult-esque imagery. His use of pastels, employed at incredibly large scales, and his oil-on-copper paintings, are evocative of pieces you may see in a museum. He’s exploring familiar ground, building off the primal elements of life, and bringing them to life in such a contemporary way.
For me, there’s something so magical about his jewel toned palette that’s extremely alluring, especially the contrast of colors. And of course, playing with scale is always an effective tool for making things feel grandiose and beyond the norm. If you’re in New York, please go see this show for me, it runs until 21 October.
Nicolas Party
Swamp
Hauser & Wirth, 22nd Street
