Elizabeth Peyton, mountains in my heart (the death of Sarpedon) at David Zwirner Gallery

Known for washy, intensely colored close-up portraits of celebrity musicians and creatives, Elizabeth Peyton’s paintings and prints from the last three years at David Zwirner Gallery atomize her subjects, building their forms up from stark white backgrounds via individual brushstrokes.  In the show’s best works, a face takes up all or most of the picture’s space as if the subject is leaning in to take a look at us.  Rendered indistinctly in soft tones and floating marks, faces like Bob Dylan’s (pictured here) suggest impermanence and a wistfulness conveyed by this painting’s title, ‘I Was Young When I Left Home.’ (On view through May 2nd).

A painting of the left part of Bob Dylan's face.
Elizabeth Peyton, I Was Young When I Left Home (Bob Dylan), oil on board, 12 x 9 inches, 2024.

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