Dark Light

Taking its title from a 2017 painting by the American artist Nicole Eisenman held in the collection, this publication brings together recent acquisitions that question the meanings and functions of figuration in contemporary art.

As the very definitions of truth have eroded dramatically in recent years, many contemporary artists—especially those working in the United States—have proceeded to analyse, interrogate, and deconstruct the notion of realism. Dark Light brings together work from an emerging group of artists who are investigating new approaches to figurative imagery through autobiography, depictions of the body, and the influence of new technologies, along with contributions by important predecessors who have anticipated current discussions around representation and verism.

The recent acquisitions featured in Dark Light include important works by established painters such as Etel Adnan, George Condo, Karen Kilimnik, Maria Lassnig, Richard Prince, Ed Ruscha, Peter Saul, and Joan Semmel, presented in dialogue with an intergenerational group of artists including Louise Bonnet, Cecily Brown, Shara Hughes, Lucy McKenzie, Laura Owens, Christina Quarles, Henry Taylor, and Matthew Wong.