Kasmin Gallery in New York presents “Zone ,” a solo exhibition of new paintings by Matvey Levenstein.
The exhibition, which opened on September 4, is Matvey Levenstein ’s first at the gallery since receiving a two-year grant from the Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation in 2023.
Utilizing his intuitive familiarity with his chosen subject, Levenstein's new works present romanticized impressions of his surroundings, both interiors and landscapes. A rising sun pierces a misty sky overlooking a tranquil cove. A candelabra rests gently in the center of a reflective table while a lone figure recedes from the viewer. In creating this series of oil paintings on copper or wood, Levenstein continues to explore the expressive potential of a restrictive palette on a limited scale.
Working in layers over tonal grounds, Levenstein achieves a cinematic sensibility. The exhibition's title is a nod to Andrei Tarkovsky's 1979 film Stalker and the Strugatsky brothers' 1972 science fiction novel Roadside Picnic, on which the film is based. There, the Zone refers to a place where things seem normal at first glance, but the closer you get, the stranger they become, much like the shifting dynamic from familiar to unfamiliar in the works on display. Rich in exquisite detail, Levenstein's paintings encourage a close look to unearth their poetic investigations of place.
The exhibition will be open to the public until September 28th.
