Nicelle Beauchene Gallery is pleased to present in the manner of the beast, the first New York solo exhibition by Luke Dowd.

Luke Dowd’s screen-printed and spray-painted canvases generate a disjunction between the grittiness of the materials and the splendor of their imagery. Through repetition and distorted perspectives, represented gemstones gesture towards the objects themselves.Dowd’s subtle use of gradients, line and form reference a faux luster that mimics these culturally revered stones.

The three largest works inthe exhibition emulate wallpaper. There is an implicit attitude in these works.The reduced palette shifts the focus away from the luminous and refractive qualities of these gems and instead towards the irreverence that Dowd places onthem. Using the same screens, the smaller works are more individualized with an explicit reference to graphic design.

in the manner of the beast alludes to Freud’s “Wolfman” text in which he references coitus more ferarum, or“ sex after the custom of beasts.” Dowd uses this phrase as a point of departure to contemplate art history. By producing work ‘in the manner of the beast,’ Dowd imitates the actions and processes of his predecessors in an attempt to negotiate and discover his own space.

Luke Dowd was born in New York City and received his MFA from Chelsea College of Art & Design, London. Dowd has participated in various international exhibitions including recent solo shows at Galerie Jacky Strenz, Frankfurt; HOTEL, London; The Breeder, Athens and a two-person exhibition with Giles Round at Whitechapel Project Space in London. Dowd lives and works in London.