NEIL JENNEY   DONALD SULTAN

the art bar  

October 19 - December 2, 2006

Waqas Wajahat in association with Ingrao is proud to present new works by Neil Jenney and Donald Sultan, exhibiting together for the first time.

While always aware of each others work, Jenney and Sultan are brought together here because of a friendship that started at “The Art Bar” at EdwardÕs in Tribeca.

A tradition started by Donald Sultan in 2002, “The Art Bar” provides a relaxed forum where artists can come together, reminiscent of the days of the Cedar Tavern or Max’s Kansas City.

Neil Jenney will exhibit works from his “good paintings” series expanding on North America Divided and introducing new works such as Evening and Daytime Diptych. Atmospheric, serene, and rendered with great precision, these works break from, and offer contrast to, the painterly, loose brushwork of the “bad paintings” with which Jenney is more typically associated. While the “good paintings” are stylistically different, Jenney’s interest in political and social issues, the environment and nature remain unchanged and are similarly addressed in these new works.

Words and phrases continue to play an integral role in the “good paintings” by their enlarged size and greater status in relationship to the overall works. The words are boldly painted on large frames, hand constructed by the artist. Donald Sultan debuts new flower paintings that build on the artistÕs unique exploration of still-life and nature. Known for his unorthodox use of tar, plaster and linoleum to construct his paintings, Sultan transforms these industrial materials into beautiful, texture-rich works that juxtapose smooth, rough, and soft surfaces and capture some of nature’s most vibrant creations. In addition to new Poppy paintings, for this exhibition Sultan introduces the Japanese Pine.

Beside their shared interest in nature, both artists bring sculptural elements to their work, building relief onto two-dimensional picture planes. Application, process and construction are important elements for both artists and provide a means for Neil Jenney and Donald Sultan to realize their work in an innovative and challenging way.

Neil Jenney was born in Torrington, CT in 1945. Donald Sultan was born in Asheville, NC in 1951. Both artists currently live and work in New York City. They have each shown extensively in the U.S. and abroad and their works can similarly be found in the Art Institute of Chicago, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art.

FULLY ILLUSTRATED CATALOG AVAILABLE.