DANIEL PEDDLE’S PAINTINGS


Daniel Peddle is best-known for his edgy work with Richard Chai, Phillip Lim, and Riccardo Tisci at Givenchy, but the talented casting director is a Renaissance man of sorts, having directed a number of films and created a series of arresting paintings now on display at the NP Contemporary Art Center on the Lower East Side. Using a mix of media (acrylic, tempera, gouache, and watercolor), Peddle’s works reflect that loneliness of the single individual lost in nature. Pulling from classic Romantic imagery—like Friedrich’s sky-dwarfened monk and Turner’s sea-battered sailors—and Impressionist techniques, the paintings seethe and swirl with color and light. Thick impasto work forms peaks and valleys, and the alternating materials allow for an engaging mix of textures. The unframed paintings—on rough blocks of wood—capture the mad fury of the natural world with a surface calm, the tiny figures hidden within obscured by forests and caught among waves.

“Daniel Peddle: Undertow” runs through May 29 at NP Contemporary Arts Center, 131 Chrystie Street. The gallery is hosting a closing party tonight.

  • Share

Related