Before and After

Nate Lowman: Before and After is the first comprehensive museum exhibition that traces the work of New York–based painter, sculptor, and installation artist Nate Lowman. The exhibition explores the concept of desire in Lowman’s work, highlighting his frequent use of imagery and language drawn from American popular culture: angels, poppies, hearts, pine-tree air fresheners, smiley faces, iconic celebrities, crosses, and news articles. His work produces nostalgic and often melancholic objects that critique the cult of celebrity, material consumption, and violence. His research and cataloguing are done in an effort to preserve the things of modern life that often go unnoticed, humorously bringing into focus pieces that leave a lasting impression on viewers—ones that provoke longing and a sense of desire. 
 
Lowman’s exhibition is presented in a salon-style arrangement, in which artworks are presented in greater density on the wall, extending above and below the typical, single-row display at eye-level found in most contemporary museums. By using techniques such as shaped canvases and photo-transfer process of painting, the artist asks us to look deeper than what our first glance might capture. Beyond what might be a perceived flatness, Lowman’s paintings have great variation, complexity, and flaws that are imbued with a sense of humor and curiosity. Further, by mixing unlikely pairings of cultural icons and relics (such as objects of antiquity, hearts, and the Shell Oil Company logo) with his personal memories and perception, the galleries are transformed into spaces that can have different meanings to each visitor.