Titus Kaphar: New Alte̲rs: Reworking Devotion

Gagosian presents New Alte̲rs: Reworking Devotion, an exhibition of new paintings and sculptures by Titus Kaphar. Held at the gallery’s Grosvenor Hill location, it marks the artist’s first exhibition in London. COLONELGARGLE (2008), a steel sculpture by John Chamberlain, is also included, establishing a visual dialogue with Kaphar’s work.

In paintings, sculptures, and installations, Kaphar examines the history of representation by altering the work’s supports. In doing so, he reveals oft unspoken social and political truths, dislodging history from its status as “past” to underscore its contemporary relevance. New Alte̲rs: Reworking Devotion stresses the heterogeneity of Kaphar’s process by incorporating all the techniques he has employed to date into a single presentation that emphasizes the images’ surreality and strangeness. It is characterized by a layering of imagery and form, and by a strategic disregard for the consistency of ground and space. Shifts in scale turn some figures into miniatures and others into giants, while the use of gilded frames hints at a dedication to something beyond the physical.