Heskin Contemporary presents New Narrative, a group exhibition curated by John Serdula.

Narrative painting has had a long artistic tradition that dates as far back as cave paintings. The imagery told a story. And the story was a fundamental and necessary aspect of the painting, until the early twentieth century. This is clearly exemplified in the American WPA murals. Personal, emotional, political, and spiritual experience was the core ingredient of that narrative.

By the end of the last century so much art had been infused with appropriated, sterile, pop iconography, it resulted in the art being blank and vacant. Now with the start of this new century and new millennium, there has been a different attitude towards painting. The New Narrative is an artist’s personal reflection of history with an added air of mystery.

There is a new trans-cultural timeless attitude, which integrates contemporary and historical references with images from the daily life of the artist. With references to romanticism, symbolism, surrealism and folk art, each artist is creating worlds of psychological and emotional vulnerability. It is this fusion that reflects a renewed approach to having narrative in painting. The following fourteen international artists are from Germany, Great Britain, Sweden, Holland, Canada and the United States. This is the first time that these artists have been assembled to create the New Narrative:

Mamma Andersson • Sam Dargan • Ian Davis • Edward Del Rosario • Marcel Dzama • Matthew Fisher • Anthony Goicolea • Sherry Kerlin • Nikki Lindt • Ben McLaughlin • Jockum Nordström • Julia Oschatz • Simon Pasieka • Mary Jo Vath