Malcolm T. Liepke: Of Vice and Virtue

MALCOLM T. LIEPKE Of Vice and Virtue

A R C A D I A

C ON TE MP OR A RY

A

ARCADIA

C O N T EM PO R ARY

Arcadia Contemporary

t: 212.965.1387

51 Greene Street

e: info@arcadiacontemporary

New York, NY 10013

www.arcadiacontemporary.com

MALCOLM T. LIEPKE Of Vice and Virtue

OPENING RECEPTION THURSDAY MAY 21ST, 6:00-8:00 PM

MAY 21 - JUNE 16, 2015

MALCOLM T. LIEPKE

I

T IS WITH GREAT PRIDE THAT Arcadia Contemporary presents, “Malcolm Liepke: Of Vice and Virtue.” Featuring thirty, neverbefore-seen paintings, this exhibition represents an exciting and decidedly new chapter in Liepke’s already impressive oeuvre. For those most familiar with Liepke’s work of the past thirty years, this new series represents a dramatic and carefully thought-out departure from the narrative imagery for which he is so well known.

Eschewing the settings of bars, cafes, and domestic spaces, these new paintings position their subjects in places far more minimal and

abstracted. It is in these startling and stark environments that Liepke’s subjects explore the confines of human consciousness.

From the light-hearted scene in “Big Bubble,” to the terror evident in “Panic Room,” Liepke guides his viewers through the full spectrum of human emotion and into the places our minds wander when we are at our most solitary.

“I wanted to explore the concept of how alone we are and where we’re going,” he declares. With these isolated figures, Liepke presents solitary humans in settings rendered with a quiet, almost religious

“placelessness.” Many of the figures, grounded in rich, painterly fields stand defiantly...as if to almost confront the viewer.

“I was really seeking a different viewpoint.

Theatrical, surreal, and even strange, sometimes.”

There are, however, a few, distinct exceptions to this more minimal presentation as depicted in works such as the show- stopping, “Big Top.” Here, the viewer almost accidentally intrudes

upon the solemnity and stoic isolation of a circus performer. Perhaps caught between performances, she grabs a moment out of the spotlight. Her face, unflinching, reveals neither acceptance nor interruption…just being.

At the other end of the “situational spectrum” appears “Tiny Dancer,” featuring a voluptuous, dynamic and erotically charged “Queen of the Night” whose every movement is meant to garner the attention she so richly craves and deserves.

Welcome to Malcolm T. Liepke’s world.

“All American Girl” Oil on Canvas, 2015 60 x 44 inches

Malcom T. Liepke “Title” Oil on Canvas 2015 14 3/4 × 11 × 7 3/4 inches

“Tiny Dancer” Oil on Canvas, 2015 48 x 42 inches

“Big Top” Oil on Canvas, 2015 48 x 48 inches

“Straight Jacket” Oil on Canvas, 2015 48 x 42 inches

“The Embrace” Oil on Canvas, 2015 52 x 40 inches

“Panic Room” Oil on Canvas, 2015 44 x 42 inches

“Bagman” Oil on Canvas, 2015 48 x 36 inches

“Which Door?”

Oil on Canvas, 2015 40 x 36 inches

“Perched on the Edge” Oil on Canvas, 2015 30 x 30 inches

Malcom T. Liepke ““Title” Oil on Canvas 2015 14 3/4 × 11 × 7 3/4 inches

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“In a Box” Oil on Canvas, 2015 30 x 24 inches

“Whiter Shade of Pale” Oil on Canvas, 2015 28 x 24 inches

“Centurian” Oil on Canvas, 2015 24 x 22 inches

“Knees Up” Oil on Canvas, 2015 24 x 18 inches

“Plastic Bag” Oil on Canvas, 2015 24 x 18 inches

“Floating” Oil on Canvas, 2015 20 x 20 inches

“Smudged Lipstick” Oil on Canvas, 2015 20 x 18 inches

“Silhouette” Oil on Canvas, 2015 20 x 18 inches

“Night Shadows” Oil on Canvas, 2015 16 x 26 inches

“Stretching” Oil on Canvas, 2015 20 x 14 inches

“Turned Back” Oil on Canvas, 2015 16 x 12 inches

“Big Bubble” Oil on Canvas, 2015 16 x 14 inches

“One Eyed Man” Oil on Canvas, 2015 17 x 13 inches

“Languid” Oil on Canvas, 2015 14 x 11 inches

“Hands Crossed” Oil on Canvas, 2015 15 x 11 inches

“Man’s Chest” Oil on Canvas, 2015 11 x 15 inches

“Profile in Lace” Oil on Canvas, 2015 13 x 9 inches

“Delicious Morsel” Oil on Canvas, 2015 12 x 12 inches

“Looking Back” Oil on Canvas, 2015 10 x 12 inches

“Little Pink Girl” Oil on Canvas, 2015 10 x 8 inches

“Old Man” Oil on Canvas, 2015 12 x 8 inches

A R C A D IA

C O N T E M P O R A RY

51 Greene Street New York, NY 10013

www.arcadiacontemporary.com

t: 212.965.1387

info@arcadiacontemporary.com