Philip Pearlstein

In Philip Pearlstein’s paintings, the figurative aspects are closely tied with the abstract qualities of the composition.  A figure may carry a detached facial expression, yet the orientation of limbs and muscles tend to betray this obvious depiction in exchange for a series of complex relationships.  Pearlstein chooses to approach painting with a modern or abstract point of view, he sees the subject and its environment as being relative to one another.  To simplify, figure and ground are not considered independent of one another but as interesting in their comparative associations.  An example would be the relationship of the female’s muscles to the rug beneath her as opposed to the reflection in which she has a much different relationship with her environment.  You could even say that Pearlstein has related the frontal aspects of the figure to the back by having a mirror in the composition.  He also juxtaposes the shallow spacious corner of a room to the reflection of the extended yet cluttered background.  It is a highly formal investigative process.

Painting seems to carry several connotations with it, one being the conceptual depth or expression pertaining to the subject.  Pearlstein instead sees the figures themselves as subjects independent of identity and chooses to make the actual human physical characteristics the subject.  It is a very objective approach to painting, an almost counter intuitive one.  It in effect contributes to some of the staged qualities the paintings have and the artificial cold spaces.  Instead of a depth of expression Pearlstein explores a cerebral depth in composition and interrelationships.  It could be debatable the amount of restraint necessary for Pearlstein to make a painting like this which is driven more by abstraction than a lot abstract paintings.