As a teen, Michelle Rawlings used to cut out and rearrange fashion spreads from magazines; her untitled oil on linen canvases at Chapter NY in Tribeca operate on a similar scale (this painting is a mere 12 ½ inches high) and also channel the cool, distanced mood of fashion photography. Here, she captures a different feeling of isolation as a softly sunlit young woman engages in a solitary activity. Set against an intensely green gallery wall that emphasizes the glimpses of nature seen outside the window and accompanied by minimal collages of ribbon and ephemeral plant-related imagery, the paintings are mediations on how meaning is constructed. (On view in Tribeca through Feb 5th. Masks and social distancing required.)
