Jennifer Bartlett’s Hospital pastels will be exhibited from January 22-March 20, 2016 at The Drawing Center in New York City, curated by Center director Brett Littman and accompanied by a fully illustrated publication.
From the Drawing Center: The Hospital series of pastels was made during Bartlett’s extended hospital stay. These pastels are based on a series of photographs she took in the hospital that she later cropped and edited in her studio. With these works, Bartlett continues her long-established practice of close observation and responsiveness to her environment. The drawings mine the liminal experience of "hospital time." Hospital environments are often highly organized by routines of medication or physical therapy, while also filled with long moments of waiting and boredom. This combination often heightens one's awareness of minute details and Bartlett exploits these sensations to create images that eschew sentimentality while remaining indelibly poignant. The Drawing Center’s exhibition will be the first time these ten pastels will be on public view.