Throughout art history, the intimate act of bathing and washing has captivated artists, particularly during the Impressionist era, and often from the male gaze. Painters such as Degas, Renoir, and Cassatt immortalized these private moments, offering glimpses into the lives of women as they engaged in their daily rituals of cleansing and self-care. More than its voyeuristic qualities, this subject reveals the class system that existed in society during the rise of the bourgeoisie, as access to a bath – a freestanding tub, no less – was reserved for the wealthy. The painter and the painted often signified the role of women: the upper-class women who painted, depicted domestic lives, while male painters rendered nudes, such as those of prostitutes and ballerinas.
This exhibition ”La Toilette," derives its title from the 1889 painting by French painter Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, features four painters who reimagine this timeless theme through contemporary lens. By exploring the act of bathing and washing, these artists delve into broader narratives of femininity, identity, and societal expectations. We are excited to showcase this theme in our gallery this summer with works by Kyra Gregory, Isabelle Higgins, Jenny Olsen and Salome Rigvava.
-
Jenny Olsen, Kami Suki (Combing Hair), 2024$ 4,200.00 -
Jenny Olsen, Mirror, Mirror, 2024$ 4,200.00
-
Jenny Olsen, Bath, 2021$ 2,900.00
-
Jenny Olsen, Furo (Bath) Dream II, 2024$ 3,500.00
-
-
-
-
LaiSun Keane is delighted to announce our upcoming exhibition titled “La Toilette”, a four-person exhibition featuring paintings by Kyra Gregory, Isabelle Higgins, Jenny Olsen, and Salome Rigvava. This exhibition will be on view from July 12th through August 25th, 2024.
Many artists throughout history have painted the subject of bathing and washing. Using “La Toilette”, the 1889 painting by French artist Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, as a reference point, we invited artists in this exhibition to present their interpretations and reimagine this timeless theme through narratives of femininity, identity, and societal expectations.
Kyra Gregory graduated from Princeton University with a degree in Studio Art, Art History and Gender and Sexuality Studies. Now based in Queens, New York, their practice is rooted in an existential search for self and community, driven by their personal experiences. Gregory’s compositions present tender reflections on queer joy and intimacy, often within the setting of their cramped, shared apartment in Brooklyn.
Isabelle Higgins is a Boston-based artist who focuses on everyday depictions of Black and Brown figures. Her small drawings provide rich visual storytelling of her own private moments, completely vulnerable and exposed to the viewer, addressing the sensitive topic of self-care and grooming. The painting 'Pluck' shows the artist mid-routine in her bathroom, unabashedly and in a confronting manner. Higgins graduated from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design in 2019 with a BFA in painting, and her work has been reviewed by Helen Miller and Michael Strand in The Art Fuse, as well as Cate McQuaid in The Boston Globe."
Jenny Olsen is inspired by the traditional Japanese hot spring, or 'onsen,' which she regularly visited with her grandmother as a child. Honoring her Japanese heritage, Olsen used images from Japanese Edo prints to explore the theme of bathing. During the Edo period (1603-1868), prints depicting women in the act of grooming were heavily coded to indicate social rank and for educational purposes. Olsen’s interpretation places her friends in ‘Mirror, Mirror ‘ and ‘Kami Suki’, giving the theme a contemporary spin. She received her MFA in 2D Fine Arts from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design in 2022. She was a recipient of the Saint Botolph Club Foundation Emerging Artist award and grant in 2022, the Mass MoCA MassArt Alum Fellowship in 2022, and was the 'Best in Show' winner of CAA’s National Prize Show in 2015.
Salome Rigvava is a Georgian-born, New York-based artist whose artistic journey took her to the New York Academy of Art, where she earned her MFA in 2022. At the core of Rigvava's artistic practice lies an exploration of identity and gender roles, skillfully woven into her compositions through the use of symbolic imagery and storytelling. Her self portraits from her ‘Mermaid’ series, subverts the male gaze, uncompromisingly owning her sexuality. Her work has been widely exhibited in New York, Los Angeles, Taiwan, Germany, and her home country of Georgia.
-
WBUR Article on La Toilette
by Maddie Browning August 1, 2024La Toilette is covered by Maddie Browning for WBUR in this article. We are pleased to share this article with you.Read more -
Art Spiel Picks: Boston Exhibitions in July 2024
by Andrew Fish July 24, 2024Art Spiel Picks: Boston Exhibitions in July 2024 reported by Andrew FishRead more
