Painting the Figure Now III

October 8, – December 12, 2020

ZOOM Reception for the artists exhibiting on October 8th from 6-7:30pm

Due to the Painting the figure now will show quality paintings that investigate the many ways we see the human figure today; contemporary approaches to portraiture, narrative, and any and all visualizations focusing on the human form in life, action, play, work and repose. We are exhibiting artists who understand the finest traditions of figurative art. We believe the human form is an endlessly interesting subject with inexhaustible potential.

“There was a time when finding well-painted figurative works was difficult. There just wasn’t that much of it around. But that has changed. It seems there is an abundance of well-painted works at this time, as one sees them too often on Instagram and other social media platforms. In curating this show I looked for works that were not only technically excellent, but also captured my attention in a different way, and made me think beyond the represented figure. This might be political/social commentary, or it might be visually poetic, or intrigue with narrative or humor, or relate to painting’s grand history, or deliver a strong sense of what it is to be human. I wanted paintings that delivered a view of existence in today’s world. We are living in very difficult times and I expect artists to be saying more about our experience during this period than just reproducing a pretty face or a nice body.”   

– F Scott Hess, guest curator

Jennifer Balkan
Provider of Wonder
Oil on canvas
36″ x 24″

The Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art

is thrilled to have the above painting in this exhibit

so graciously donated to the museum for its permanent collection.

Thank you Jennifer!

PTFN III is sponsored in part by a grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board, the B.A. & Esther Greenheck Foundation, and the Community Foundation of North Central Wisconsin.