Wes Hempel / “Language Vaccine II (Vow of Silence)” / oil on canvas, 52×76” / 2014.
BY STEPHANIE BUHMANN (stephaniebuhmann.com) | WES HEMPEL
Wes Hempel explores notions of masculinity by setting portraits of present-day men against backdrops that resemble paintings of the historical Neoclassical and High Renaissance era — Nicolas Poussin and Guido Reni frequently come to mind. Hempel’s work especially reflects his interest in masculine sexuality as it has been represented throughout art history.
When studying works of the past in museums, Hempel found that absent to him as a gay man was the depiction of his own story: “Paintings of the old masters on the walls of museums like the Met, the Louvre, and Rijks museum still have a certain cache. They’re revered not just for their technique but because they enshrine our collective past experience. Of course, it’s a selected past that gets validated.” By choosing to present contemporary males as objects of desire in familiar looking art historical settings, Hempel wittily and romantically imagines an art discourse that never excluded the gay experience.
In a time when this subject is still able to shock the unenlightened, Hempel’s paintings are not simply aesthetically stimulating, but serve as a poignant reminder that art, no matter how seemingly liberal, has also had its historic limitations.
Through Oct. 25. At George Billis Gallery (525 W. 26th St., btw. 10th & 11th Aves.). Hours: Tues.–Sat., 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Call 212-645-2621 or visit georgebillis.com.
