Captured Mysteries

Until the end of the month, you can see the exquisitely imagined photographs of Parisian artist, Jean-Michel Fauquet, in his first American solo show at Haim Chanin Fine Arts.

In the last year, the gallery relocated to a new space at 121 West 19th Street, 10th Floor. Somewhat outside the press of Chelsea's gallery ghetto, Haim Chanin's new home presents art in a domestic environment. We don't all live in white-box lofts, and art takes on new life in this context. If there is a future direction developing for contemporary art galleries, Haim Chanin is leading the way with this move.

Fauquet's work exists in the penumbra of fantasy and reality. It plays with ideas of set pieces and nature, with the blurred lines dividing past and present, ancient and future. Even lines between photography, painting, and sculpture blur. Fauquet manipulates his pictures with paint and wax. The cotton paper on which they are printed is rare and no longer mass produced. Its depth and richness offer tactile sophistication while creating layers of interest as objects as well as images.

Though my friend and I visited a number of galleries this afternoon, Fauquet's images insinuated themselves into my memory throughout the day and into the evening. The mysteries of his imagination envision poetic narratives that now enliven my own. Like images extracted from a dream, they live in a shadow world where memory slips from our grasp and emotion and art conspire to stop time, if only for a moment.

The show runs through June 30th. Try to visit. The gallery director is a lovely friend named Mathilde Simian.

Enjoy!

Jean-Michel Fauquet - KAÏROS
May 3 - June 30, 2007

Haim Chanin Fine Arts
121 West 19th Street, 10th Floor
New York, NY 10011
T 646 230 72 00
F 212 255 3145
art@haimchanin.com