Lari Pittman explores modern life in 'Magical Realism'

Wang Jie
The 72-year-old American is known for complex imagery and unique use of color that inspires other artists, making him one of his generation's top talents.
Wang Jie
Lari Pittman explores modern life in 'Magical Realism'

"Sparkling City With Egg Monuments #3" (2023) was made with acrylic and lacquer spray on gessoed canvas over a wood panel.

Lari Pittman explores modern life in 'Magical Realism'

"Found Buried #2" (2020) was made with cel-Vinyl paint and lacquer spray over gessoed canvas on a titanium and wood panel.

The "Magic Realism" exhibition celebrates 72-year-old painter Lari Pittman.

The exhibition at Long Museum West Bund features more than 30 Littman paintings and drawings created over the past 12 years, which underscores the artist's ongoing exploration of themes related to modern life, including regeneration and optimistic renewal in 21st-century society.

The exhibition sheds light on Pittman's prolific output and the evolution of his work over the last decade.

Throughout his four-decade career, the American has developed a distinct visual language that has established him as one of the most significant painters of his generation.

His signature, densely layered painting style includes a lexicon of signs and symbols, a compilation of varied painting techniques, unique color combinations, and a clear homage to the handmade, craft and decorative.

Lari Pittman explores modern life in 'Magical Realism'

" Vanitas #1" (2021) was made with cel-vinyl paint and lacquer spray over gessoed canvas on a titanium and wood panel.

The artist has had numerous solo and group exhibitions around the world including a major retrospective at the UCLA Hammer Museum in Los Angeles in 2019. His work has also been included in the Whitney Biennial (1993,1995, 1997), Documenta (1997), and the Venice Biennale (2003).

In "Magic Realism," the visual motif of eggs, which has appeared in Pittman's work since the mid-1980s, is seen consistently. The forms are integrated into nightscapes and cityscapes, appearing as monuments and as part of nature scenes, ready to hatch into life.

In his eyes, eggs are part of the utopian perspective: a feminist and generative vision of the world rooted in the exuberance of life. These egg forms are depicted in a variety of sizes and guises.

"Lari Pittman's work reflects the exuberance of eras past and homes for future worlds," said Steiner, curator of the exhibition. "His complex imagery brings ordered structures to contemporary ideas, which are presented through unique colors and forms. Lari's work has left an indelible mark on the history of art, inspiring so many of his peers as well as a younger generation of artists."

If you go

Dates: Through October 20 (closed on Mondays) 10am-5:30pm (Tuesday to Thursday), 10am-8pm (Friday to Sunday)

Venue: Long Museum West Bund

Address: 3398 Longteng Avenue long 龙腾大道3398号

Admission: 100 yuan


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