Grace Metzler (b. 1989; New York, NY) captures darkly humorous vignettes of the mindless rituals of everyday life. With a stark palette, the artist paints figures at leisure in quotidian settings, from hockey games, to musical jam sessions, to lackadaisical beach scenes. Sociality is at the heart of her work, hinting at a sort of lazy utopia that might be achieved through cooperation and community. Yet her canvases are tinged with something sinister. Bleak grayish skies, empty facial expressions, and a thick application of paint suggest a note of anxiety. With this contrast, Metzler explores the tension between fleeting moments of innocent pleasure and the gravity of putting them to canvas, giving us pause to observe the joy and absurdity of contemporary life.
Grace Metzler has presented solo and two-person shows both in the United States and abroad, including at Half Gallery, New York, NY; V1 Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark; and Taymour Grahne Projects, London, UK. The artist has been featured in group exhibitions at Thierry Goldberg Gallery, New York, NY; Neochrome, Turn, Italy; Danese/Corey, New York, NY; and M. David & Co, Brooklyn, NY, among others. Metzler earned her BFA from the Tyler School of Art and Architecture, Temple University and her MFA from Hunter College. The artist lives and works in New York.