Eva Presenhuber is pleased to present The Stage an exhibition by Tschabalala Self at our private showroom in conjunction with the artist’s play Sounding Board, presented as part of Performa Biennial 2021. The affiliated show is comprised of paintings, drawings, costumes, and functional objects inspired by and directly lifted from Self’s new dramedy, with the performance’s actors, props, and scenery employed as visual motifs throughout this latest body of work.
Sounding Board, written and directed by Self, is the artist's first ever live performance, in which her iconic collage-paintings come to life in the form of male/female dialogues that examine the complex nuances of romantic relations, constraints of verbal communication, and universal desire for haptic connection. Rendered in Self’s signature style that extends the boundaries of the figurative, the works on view run the gamut from costumes and sculptural furniture to mixed-media paintings and fanciful works on paper.
The showroom is open by appointment only.
Lady in Pink on Fat Leg Lounge #3
2021
Colored pencil, acrylic paint, gouache, charcoal, graphite on archival inkjet print
Unique
Sheet 91.5 x 72.5 cm / 36 x 28 1/2 in
Frame 114.5 x 95.5 cm / 45 x 37 1/2 in
SELF 50151
Lady in Yellow on Spiral Seat #2
2021
Colored pencil, acrylic paint, gouache, charcoal, graphite on archival inkjet print
Unique
Sheet 91.5 x 72.5 cm / 36 x 28 1/2 in
Frame 114.5 x 95.5 cm / 45 x 37 1/2 in
SELF 50159
Yellow Man on Wide Base Lounge #3
2021
Colored pencil, acrylic paint, gouache, charcoal, graphite on archival inkjet print
Unique
Sheet 91.5 x 72.5 cm / 36 x 28 1/2 in
Frame 114.5 x 95.5 cm / 45 x 37 1/2 in
SELF 50160
Green Man on Fat Leg Lounge #1
2021
Colored pencil, acrylic paint, gouache, charcoal, graphite on archival inkjet print
Unique
Sheet 91.5 x 72.5 cm / 36 x 28 1/2 in
Frame 114.5 x 95.5 cm / 45 x 37 1/2 in
SELF 50161
Lady in Yellow on Wide Base Lounge #3
2021
Colored pencil, acrylic paint, gouache, charcoal, graphite on archival inkjet print
Unique
Sheet 91.5 x 72.5 cm / 36 x 28 1/2 in
Frame 114.5 x 95.5 cm / 45 x 37 1/2 in
SELF 50156
Lady in Yellow on Wide Base Lounge #1
2021
Colored pencil, acrylic paint, gouache, charcoal, graphite on archival inkjet print
Unique
Sheet 91.5 x 72.5 cm / 36 x 28 1/2 in
Frame 114.5 x 95.5 cm / 45 x 37 1/2 in
SELF 50153
Blue Man on Fat Leg Lounge #3
2021
Colored pencil, acrylic paint, gouache, charcoal, graphite on archival inkjet print
Unique
Sheet 91.5 x 72.5 cm / 36 x 28 1/2 in
Frame 114.5 x 95.5 cm / 45 x 37 1/2 in
SELF 50167
Yellow Lady on Wide Base Lounge #1
2021
Colored pencil, acrylic paint, gouache, charcoal, graphite on archival inkjet print
Unique
Sheet 91.5 x 72.5 cm / 36 x 28 1/2 in
Frame 114.5 x 95.5 cm / 45 x 37 1/2 in
SELF 50152
Lady in Red on Fat Leg Lounge #1
2021
Colored pencil, acrylic paint, gouache, charcoal, graphite on archival inkjet print
Unique
Sheet 91.5 x 72.5 cm / 36 x 28 1/2 in
Frame 114.5 x 95.5 cm / 45 x 37 1/2 in
SELF 50155
Lady in Pink on Spiral Seat #1
2021
Colored pencil, acrylic paint, gouache, charcoal, graphite on archival inkjet print
Unique
Sheet 91.5 x 72.5 cm / 36 x 28 1/2 in
Frame 114.5 x 95.5 cm / 45 x 37 1/2 in
SELF 50157
Lady in White on Wide Base Lounge #2
2021
Colored pencil, acrylic paint, gouache, charcoal, graphite on archival inkjet print
Unique
Sheet 91.5 x 72.5 cm / 36 x 28 1/2 in
Frame 114.5 x 95.5 cm / 45 x 37 1/2 in
SELF 50166
Couple in Lime on Lifted Lounge #2
2021
Colored pencil, acrylic paint, gouache, charcoal, graphite on archival inkjet print
Unique
Sheet 72.5 x 91.5 cm / 28 1/2 x 36 in
Frame 95.5 x 114.5 cm / 37 1/2 x 45 in
SELF 50165
Couple in Blue on Lifted Lounge #1
2021
Colored pencil, acrylic paint, gouache, charcoal, graphite on archival inkjet print
Unique
Sheet 72.5 x 91.5 cm / 28 1/2 x 36 in
Frame 95.5 x 114.5 cm / 37 1/2 x 45 in
SELF 50164
Man and Shadow on Lifted Lounge #1
2021
Colored pencil, acrylic paint, gouache, charcoal, graphite on archival inkjet print
Unique
Sheet 91.5 x 72.5 cm / 36 x 28 1/2 in
Frame 114.5 x 95.5 cm / 45 x 37 1/2 in
SELF 50169
Red Lady and Shadow on Lifted Lounge #2
2021
Colored pencil, acrylic paint, gouache, charcoal, graphite on archival inkjet print
Unique
Sheet 72.5 x 91.5 cm / 28 1/2 x 36 in
Frame 95.5 x 114.5 cm / 37 1/2 x 45 in
SELF 50168
Seated Couple with Spiral Table
2021
Colored pencil, acrylic paint, gouache, charcoal, graphite on archival inkjet print
Unique
Image 91.5 x 91.5 cm / 36 x 36 in
Frame 114.5 x 114.5 cm / 45 x 45 in
SELF 50170
What was it like creating your first live performance?
I’ve been approaching this whole process experimentally. Toward the end of the first rehearsal, I got a better sense of what direction I wanted to go with the production, and when we met again for the second set of rehearsals, we worked on exaggerating the differences between each act. The whole effort has been super collaborative and exploratory, which is different from my normal artistic process. Making a fine art show is a solitary experience between me and the object I’m creating, whereas with this I’m spending time with the people who are the inspiration for the work. The actors are in many ways the muses, so establishing a dialogue with them has been a completely new and really enjoyable experience.
Tschabalala Self in ARTnews
