Expressive Portraits by Stuart Snoddy at Lower East Side Gallery

.                                 The Landscape Painter (2023, oil on canvas) by Stuart Snoddy



By ALISON MARTIN


The Massey Klein Gallery on the Lower East Side is currently presenting, The Dither featuring several new paintings by Stuart Snoddy. For his second solo show at the gallery, the Indianapolis based artist unveils intriguing portraits of mysterious and somewhat unusual looking people. 

Some of the characters he portrays are goofy and satirical and exude animated vibes. Examples include The Method Actor and The Gonzo Painter. The Method Actor depicts a man, short and stout in stature, with a balding head and droopy eyes and lips. Similarly, The Gonzo Painter portrays a young man with his face made up like a clown's but exhibiting a tired, unhappy expression as is indicated by his droopy facial features. The muted browns and grays add to the solemn mood.

Other personality types Snoddy depicts include well-educated and talented individuals. For instance,  the piece titled Professor Emeritus is an amusing depiction of an educator posing against a dark red wall holding a globe in one hand, and a pointer in the other. The character's sly expression along with his bald head, sideburns, and thick eyebrows pokes fun at the stereotype. The Landscape Painter depicts a stylized caricature of an artist subject seen standing in an open field in front of his easel and canvas and displays a satisfied expression on his face.

Other subjects Snoddy explores include women interested in and focused on beauty and glamour. For instance, Salon Receptionist portrays a woman wearing heavy makeup including purple lipstick with her gaze downward seeming to be deep in thought. Other women are depicted in the portrait Boof short for the bouffant hairstyle popular in the mid-20th century, with te subject's attire and makeup in a striking electric blue and Shelby, a portrait of an elegantly posed against a gray background with her hairstyle casting a shadow over her partially closed eyes as she turns her head to the side.

At the Massey Klein Gallery, 124 Forsyth St., through Dec. 9. The gallery is open Thu.-Sun. from 12 p.m.-6 p.m.





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