Damien Cabanes: This Phrase Is Chosen With Care

Damien Cabanes: This Phrase Is Chosen With Care, February 17 - March 17, 2007 at Mike Weiss Gallery in New York, NY. "...Cabanes’ abstract renderings of the human figure are gestural, expressive and highly spontaneous. His work stylistically recalls that of Outsider Art and Art Brut, and echoes predecessors such as Giacometti and Dubuffet. The sculptures on view, which measure from eight inches to three feet tall, are either left unpainted or are loosely painted in a mixture of colors. Like the sculptures, the canvases depict solitary figures, which are painted against a monochrome background. Cabanes works directly from live models and it is this impact of presence on the artist which imbues the sculptures and paintings with their strong psychological and communicative power. The fact that Cabanes chooses regular, 'everyday' people instead of professional models heightens the emotional impact and ingenuous quality of his art."