Timothy Taylor presents Bourgeoisie in Bloom, a solo exhibition by Honor Titus (b. 1989, Brooklyn, NY), which follows the artist’s presentation with the gallery at Frieze London, 2021.
Bourgeoisie in Bloom sees Titus expand on the themes of ritual, nostalgia, and class that have characterised his previous work. In his new paintings, he focuses on debutante and cotillion balls in which young adults are presented to society. These mannered, stylized performances have undertones of class coding and inheritance that feel both timeless and contemporary. Titus sees a vision of youth on the cusp of entering the adult social world, suffused with both longing and scepticism.
Since his first solo exhibition in 2020, Titus has become known for his vivid, detailed style. Favouring bright panels of colour, he evokes lost traditions of cultural formality, using precise brushwork to delineate details of old-world glamour: the tilt of a bow tie, the line of a ballgown. His work recalls the work of Les Nabis and the Chicago Imagists, as well as the Eastern Seaboard pastoralia of Fairfield Porter.
