Hasta La Ideas

New work by the NYC artist known for his colorfully bold “prison” paintings

Earlier this month, one of New York CIty’s native artists,
Peter Halley, invited some members of the press into his studio for a preview of his new works. For over 25 years Halley has painted his “prisons” and “cells,” reflecting the “increasing geometricization of social space in the world we live in.”

Regardless of how you read the social commentary, these bold, bright paintings masterfully impose color and texture on the canvas. His use of a Roll-a-Tex, an industrial tool, creates such a powerful contrast of texture within his “cells” that the varied surfaces are visible when standing ten feet away.

His new works will be on display at the Galerie Thomas Modern
in Munich starting 9 September 2011 and running through 19 November 2011.

Images courtesy of The Ballast.