July 8 - August 29, 2026, Tuesday - Saturday, 10:00am - 5:30pm
Modernism is pleased to present "Idylls," an exhibition of new paintings by Sheldon Greenberg. Verdant, whimsical and enigmatic, Greenberg's paintings construct abstracted, idyllic environments that exist somewhere between observation and imagination.
Though Greenberg's work has been rooted in figuration, in recent years he has questioned the role of the figure in his paintings, asking himself, "How do I paint with no figure?" The answer emerged through a motif that appears throughout "Idylls": the chair.
Inspired in part by the paintings of Edward Hopper, Greenberg employs the chair as a stand-in for the human presence. Occupying the space where a figure might traditionally appear, it suggests habitation while remaining anonymous. Detached from the specificity of portraiture, the chair becomes a metaphor for the figure rather than a depiction of one, allowing viewers to enter the scene without the distractions of narrative or identity. The exceptions are "Afternoon Siesta" and "Electrical Storm," which both depict a woman reclining beneath lush tropical foliage. Their presences are ironic: rather than commanding the composition, they rest within it, as though Greenberg were symbolically putting the figure itself to rest.
The paintings are characterized by a continual tension between spatial depth and pictorial flatness. Landscapes, interiors, architectural elements and everyday objects are assembled into compositions that resist coherent perspective. Executed on a scale Greenberg has not explored for many years, these paintings possess a sense of spaciousness and optimism. Saturated with warmth and infused with the imagery of gardens and sunlit interiors, they offer spaces of contemplation where perception becomes fluid. In "Idylls," Greenberg transforms the familiar language of landscape and interior painting into something more interesting: places that feel remembered rather than observed.
OPENING RECEPTION WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 6-8PM
Free
Presented by MODERNISM INC..