New York, NY- Bill Hodges Gallery is pleased to announce its final exhibition at its Chelsea location titled “BIG”. The show, on view from July 14, – August 27, 2016, features seven large scale works, created in various medium, such as photography, painting and printmaking. BIG includes works by contemporary artists whose names are as “big” within the art world as the works that are created here; including works by Chuck Close, Adam Pendleton, Mickalene Thomas, Kehinde Wiley and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, all of whom have made a name for themselves as standout contemporary artists in today’s art world with work collected by highly respected museums throughout the world.

Typically exhibiting smaller works of art, the gallery thought it was important to take a different approach and display works that were both museum worthy and on a larger scale. Each work displayed in the exhibition has a height or width greater than 48 inches. Though all the works exhibited are on a grand scale, each work and artist brings a unique element to the exhibition; from the menacing quality of Lynette Yiadom-Boakye’s work Grammy, to the starkly conceptual air of Adam Pendleton’s Afro—Futuristic and the striking naturalism of Chuck Close’s photograph, titled Lorna Simpson.

Within the exhibition, we are immediately drawn to Lynette Yiadom-Boakye’s oil on canvas work, Grammy. The massive 110 ¼ by 70 ¾ inch work, displays two ominous female figures, vampire like dressed in evening gowns, addressing an invisible crowd. The scary female figures that are surrounded by darkness, palpably touches on themes of American culture and fame. Through a noted American award ceremony, Yiadom-Boakye addresses America’s dark obsession with fame and the contemporary American notion of the “dime a dozen” celebrity actively seeking the spotlight.

Then there is the more conceptual work of Adam Pendleton. Still dealing with American culture, the artist touches on the subject of both the history of and the contemporary themes within Black America. This monumental two part silkscreen work Afro—Futuristic measuring at 96 x 70 ¾ inches in its entirety, does just that. Minimalistic with large text stating “AFRO FUTURISTIC” expanding in dark grey bold lettering across a tinted image of what appears to be an imposed photograph of the legs of a person standing adjacent to studio spotlight on one side and a chair resting above an chalky “x” spot mark. Though minimalistic, Pendleton manages to take the viewer back to a day where black exploitation films in America were popular; displaying a time where films with names like “afro futuristic” would have flashed across the T.V screen of many black American families.

While there are plenty of paintings to enjoy within the exhibition, there is also stunning photography, such as Chuck Close’s gelatin silver print photograph, titled Lorna Simpson. The work beautifully captures, in grayscale, the image of fellow contemporary artist Lorna Simpson, in a medium that she too knows so well. Like Simpson’s work, Close manages to capture her identity, through an image; displaying in hyperrealism, every pore within her skin to every coil in her hair. Simpson is then taken beyond her occupation of an artist; it places her within the context of a work of art, as the subject. Through the photograph Close takes great effort to display the realism of Simpson to be both studied and celebrated by the viewer.

The Bill Hodges Gallery is located on the 2nd floor of 529 W. 20th Street between 10th Avenue and 11th Avenue. Our closest subways stations are at 14th St. & 8th Ave. (A-C-E-L) and 23rd St. & 8th Ave. (C-E). Gallery Hours are Tuesday to Friday 10am – 6pm and Saturday 12:30pm – 5:30pm. Press viewings can be arranged. For more information or to arrange a viewing, please contact Bill or Navindren Hodges at (212) 333-2640 or via email at [email protected].