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The Black Paintings
The Black Paintings
Wes Lang
£40.00
The Black Paintings is a striking catalogue published to accompany Wes Lang’s UK debut: The Black Paintings, opening on 27 September 2024 and running until 9 March 2025. The exhibition showcases the complete series of ‘The Black Paintings’, created between 2022 and 2024, now exhibited for the first time.
‘The Black Paintings’ vividly demonstrate the breadth of Lang’s inspiration, drawing from fine art heroes such as Francis Bacon, James Ensor, Francisco Goya and Alfred Munnings, as well as the kitsch imagery of his childhood. Lang masterfully blends these influences to create his distinctive and deeply personal style. Unique otherworldly characters — skeletons and disembodied skulls — are set against dark and obscured backgrounds or lush landscapes, creating story-like compositions that take on an unexpected liveliness. Lang's works on paper included in this catalogue feature these same characters, but set against the blank white space of the page, embedded in intricately inscribed scenes with playful expressions and phrases that echo Taoist philosophy, reflecting the spiritual beliefs which drive Lang’s practice.
Published in association with Newport Street Gallery, The Black Paintings catalogue features stunning reproductions of 96 paintings and 96 drawings, along with detailed shots of the works and striking visuals of Lang at work in his studio.
The exhibition coincides with an application-based drop on HENI Primary, featuring the complete series of original artworks.
Publication:
September 2024
Illustrations:
224
Dimensions:
280 x 245 mm
Format:
Hardback
ISBN:
978-1-911736-00-4
No. of pages:
284
Wes Lang (b. 1972) is an LA-based artist renowned for his evocative artworks on canvas and paper. Born in New Jersey, Lang knew from an early age that he wanted to be an artist. Over the years, he has gathered a myriad of references, creating an unbreakable thread between his childhood and the distinctive motifs that define his current practice. Lang’s work is featured in prestigious international collections, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and Damien Hirst’s personal collection.
James Fox is a London-based journalist, born in Washington D.C., and a former feature writer and foreign correspondent for The Sunday Times. He is the author of White Mischief and The Langhorne Sisters, and co-author of* Life*, the best-selling memoir of Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards. He has also contributed to various publications, including Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, London Review of Books and Air Mail, among others.
Wallace Ludel is a writer and poet. His cultural criticism has appeared in Artforum, BOMB, Cultured, Elephant, Prairie Schooner, The Art Newspaper, Triangle House Review, among others.
Artlyst – Wes Lang: The Black Paintings
GQ – Artist Wes Lang Is Releasing a Monumental New Series of Paintings — And We Brought Them to Life
HENI Primary – Wes Lang: The Black Paintings
Monster Children – The Wes Lang Interview
Newport Street Gallery – Wes Lang: The Black Paintings
Ocula – Newport Street Gallery: Wes Lang: The Black Paintings
