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Ben McLaughlin
Ex Libris , 13 March - 24 April 2021
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Ben McLaughlin: Ex Libris

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Overview
side angle view of wall with 6 small paintings hung horizontally next to perpendicular wall with four small paintings also hung horizontally

The tiny and evocative oil-on-panel paintings in Ben McLaughlin's third solo exhibition at Hosfelt Gallery were mostly made in 2019 and 2020, and they mark a time of global uncertainty, tension and precariousness. Yet the London-based painter’s intimate, often dream-like tableaus are a reflection of the slower, more interior-focused lives many of us have found to be the flip-side of pandemic shelter-in-place.   

 

With the technical facility of a Dutch master and a muted palette, McLaughlin creates eccentrically cropped, ambiguous scenes that are drawn from childhood memories of growing up in a home he describes as more "like a collage, with books and papers everywhere” than a flat in London. He considers them “chronicles of the last century.” And though they do not romanticize or pine for a “better time,” they are unquestionably about memory:  both its persistence and its instability.  

 

Recognizing that books summon memories, McLaughlin titles the paintings in this exhibition after books in his parents’ extensive library. But the pairing of book title and painting is randomly assigned and intentionally unrelated to subject matter. This disconnect between title and image allows the work to hover in a zone of continually shifting meaning. Often simultaneously bucolic and slightly ominous, McLaughlin’s imagery, in conjunction with his appropriated titles, conjures an open-ended, multivalent narrative that is particular to the viewer.

 

Additionally, some works appear to fade at the edges, or have incongruent blotches of paint blocking out a portion of the scene. These function as interruptions in the visceral feel of a recollection, pointing to the unreliability of memory, like the sharp intrusion of doubt when retelling a past incident. And yet, despite the insistent uncertainty in all of the work, a quiet serenity persists. A living room at dusk, a Target parking lot, a bulletin board bristling with notes — each tableau feels like a private and personal refuge, a place of brief respite in a turbulent world.

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Works
  • Man gazes through binoculars to the right side of the canvas, standing in a field surrounded by trees. Scene is painted in turquoise hues.
    Ben McLaughlin
    Songbirds, 2020
    oil on panel
    8 1/4 x 11 5/8 in
    21 x 29.5 cm
    Inquire
    %3Cdiv%20class%3D%22artist%22%3EBen%20McLaughlin%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22title_and_year%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_title%22%3ESongbirds%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_year%22%3E2020%3C/span%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22medium%22%3Eoil%20on%20panel%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22dimensions%22%3E8%201/4%20x%2011%205/8%20in%3Cbr/%3E%0A21%20x%2029.5%20cm%3C/div%3E
  • A white trash can stands on the ground against a dark background. The lid is slightly open.
    Ben McLaughlin
    Samuel Pepys, The Years Of Peril, 2021
    oil on panel
    7 1/4 x 4 3/4 in
    18.4 x 12.1 cm
    Inquire
    %3Cdiv%20class%3D%22artist%22%3EBen%20McLaughlin%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22title_and_year%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_title%22%3ESamuel%20Pepys%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3EThe%20Years%20Of%20Peril%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_year%22%3E2021%3C/span%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22medium%22%3Eoil%20on%20panel%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22dimensions%22%3E7%201/4%20x%204%203/4%20in%3Cbr/%3E%0A18.4%20x%2012.1%20cm%3C/div%3E
  • Warm yellow light emits from the interior of a house through its bay window. Plants out front barely graze the bottom of the window.
    Ben McLaughlin
    A Foot on Three Daisies, 2021
    oil on panel
    10 1/4 x 7 3/4 in
    26 x 19.7 cm
  • A group of people standing on a wooden deck overlook a clouded scene of mountains and open sky.
    Ben McLaughlin
    John Cheever, Collected Stories, 2021
    oil on panel
    8 1/4 x 11 3/4 in
    21 x 29.8 cm
  • Two women lean in to overlook several boxes on a table. A third person to their left lifts the lid off of one.
    Ben McLaughlin
    Prescription for Anxiety, 2020
    oil on panel
    8 1/4 x 11 3/4 in
    21 x 29.8 cm
    Inquire
    %3Cdiv%20class%3D%22artist%22%3EBen%20McLaughlin%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22title_and_year%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_title%22%3EPrescription%20for%20Anxiety%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_year%22%3E2020%3C/span%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22medium%22%3Eoil%20on%20panel%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22dimensions%22%3E8%201/4%20x%2011%203/4%20in%3Cbr/%3E%0A21%20x%2029.8%20cm%3C/div%3E
  • Two fighter jets flying downwards from the top right corner of the canvas against a cloudy white sky.
    Ben McLaughlin
    Lovely Is The Lee, 2020
    oil on panel
    8 x 6 1/2 in
    20.3 x 16.5 cm
    Inquire
    %3Cdiv%20class%3D%22artist%22%3EBen%20McLaughlin%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22title_and_year%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_title%22%3ELovely%20Is%20The%20Lee%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_year%22%3E2020%3C/span%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22medium%22%3Eoil%20on%20panel%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22dimensions%22%3E8%20x%206%201/2%20in%3Cbr/%3E%0A20.3%20x%2016.5%20cm%3C/div%3E
  • A man examines the sheets of a bed in front of dark blue walls and a lamp.
    Ben McLaughlin
    Children's Stories From Longfellow, 2019
    oil on panel
    8 1/2 x 11 3/4 in
    21.6 x 29.8 cm
    Inquire
    %3Cdiv%20class%3D%22artist%22%3EBen%20McLaughlin%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22title_and_year%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_title%22%3EChildren%27s%20Stories%20From%20Longfellow%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_year%22%3E2019%3C/span%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22medium%22%3Eoil%20on%20panel%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22dimensions%22%3E8%201/2%20x%2011%203/4%20in%3Cbr/%3E%0A21.6%20x%2029.8%20cm%3C/div%3E
  • A parking lot and the exterior of a Target store is partially obscured by a thick black brushstroke.
    Ben McLaughlin
    Rebecca Of Sunnybrook Farm, 2020
    oil on panel
    8 1/4 x 11 3/4 in
    21 x 29.8 cm
    Inquire
    %3Cdiv%20class%3D%22artist%22%3EBen%20McLaughlin%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22title_and_year%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_title%22%3ERebecca%20Of%20Sunnybrook%20Farm%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_year%22%3E2020%3C/span%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22medium%22%3Eoil%20on%20panel%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22dimensions%22%3E8%201/4%20x%2011%203/4%20in%3Cbr/%3E%0A21%20x%2029.8%20cm%3C/div%3E
  • Small tan pieces of paper almost completely fill a window frame. The scene is cropped so that only the bottom left corner of the window is visible.
    Ben McLaughlin
    Lands and Peoples IV, 2021
    oil on panel
    8 1/4 x 11 3/4 in
    21 x 29.8 cm
  • White parachute in front of a forest is pulled leftward by strings on a field.
    Ben McLaughlin
    The Colossus, 2021
    oil on panel
    8 x 11 3/4 in
    20.3 x 29.8 cm
  • A field of rows of brown crops lies beneath a cell phone tower and a cloudy gray sky.
    Ben McLaughlin
    The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow, 2021
    oil on panel
    8 x 11 1/2 in
    20.3 x 29.2 cm
  • The interior of a building is destroyed with planks of wood peeling off the ceiling and walls and lying in heaps on the floor. Scene is depicted in orange and brown hues.
    Ben McLaughlin
    The Magic Walking Stick, 2021
    oil on panel
    8 1/4 x 11 1/4 in
    21 x 28.6 cm
    Inquire
    %3Cdiv%20class%3D%22artist%22%3EBen%20McLaughlin%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22title_and_year%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_title%22%3EThe%20Magic%20Walking%20Stick%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_year%22%3E2021%3C/span%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22medium%22%3Eoil%20on%20panel%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22dimensions%22%3E8%201/4%20x%2011%201/4%20in%3Cbr/%3E%0A21%20x%2028.6%20cm%3C/div%3E
  • A man in a suit standing in a forest is cutting a branch off of a small leafless shrub.
    Ben McLaughlin
    English Social History, 2020
    oil on panel
    11 5/8 x 8 1/8 inches
    29.5 x 20.5 cm
  • Black digital alarm clock displays the time 8:35 and casts a shadow against a blue background.
    Ben McLaughlin
    The Life of Our Lord, 2021
    oil on panel
    4 x 6 in
    10.2 x 15.2 cm
    Inquire
    %3Cdiv%20class%3D%22artist%22%3EBen%20McLaughlin%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22title_and_year%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_title%22%3EThe%20Life%20of%20Our%20Lord%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_year%22%3E2021%3C/span%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22medium%22%3Eoil%20on%20panel%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22dimensions%22%3E4%20x%206%20in%3Cbr/%3E%0A10.2%20x%2015.2%20cm%3C/div%3E
  • A man and young girl overlook a sea and the sky from the surrounding rocky mountainside.
    Ben McLaughlin
    The Wonderful Story of the Sea, 2021
    oil on panel
    8 1/4 x 11 3/4 in
    21 x 29.8 cm
  • A child holding a shovel leans over in a field of yellow grass with mountains and a dark sky in the background.
    Ben McLaughlin
    A Time of Gifts, 2021
    oil on panel
    10 1/2 x 8 in
    26.7 x 20.3 cm
  • Seats of the backseat of an old car are depicted in shades of turquoise.
    Ben McLaughlin
    05:26, 2013
    oil on panel
    6 x 10 1/2 inches/15.2 x 26.7 cm
    Inquire
    %3Cdiv%20class%3D%22artist%22%3EBen%20McLaughlin%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22title_and_year%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_title%22%3E05%3A26%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_year%22%3E2013%3C/span%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22medium%22%3Eoil%20on%20panel%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22dimensions%22%3E6%20x%2010%201/2%20inches/15.2%20x%2026.7%20cm%3C/div%3E
  • Two men in suits sit in tall chairs in front of microphones reviewing papers on the desk. The man on the left is obscured by the hinge of a glass door.
    Ben McLaughlin
    The Complete Gallery of the Animal Kingdom, 2021
    oil on panel
    7 1/2 x 9 3/4 in
    19.1 x 24.8 cm
    Inquire
    %3Cdiv%20class%3D%22artist%22%3EBen%20McLaughlin%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22title_and_year%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_title%22%3EThe%20Complete%20Gallery%20of%20the%20Animal%20Kingdom%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_year%22%3E2021%3C/span%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22medium%22%3Eoil%20on%20panel%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22dimensions%22%3E7%201/2%20x%209%203/4%20in%3Cbr/%3E%0A19.1%20x%2024.8%20cm%3C/div%3E
  • A gradient of 10 vertical stripes fills the canvas. The leftmost panel is the lightest, and the rightmost panel is the darkest.
    Ben McLaughlin
    The Pageant Of The Century, 2019
    oil on panel
    4 1/4 x 6 1/2 in
    10.8 x 16.5 cm
  • Toilet, sink, and window are depicted in blue and black hues.
    Ben McLaughlin
    00:55 Iron Man II, 2013
    oil on panel
    11 1/8 x 7 5/8 inches/28.3 x 19.4 cm
    Inquire
    %3Cdiv%20class%3D%22artist%22%3EBen%20McLaughlin%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22title_and_year%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_title%22%3E00%3A55%20Iron%20Man%20II%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_year%22%3E2013%3C/span%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22medium%22%3Eoil%20on%20panel%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22dimensions%22%3E11%201/8%20x%207%205/8%20inches/28.3%20x%2019.4%20cm%3C/div%3E
  • In a low visibility scene, trees and buildings are barely illuminated by bright white lights in the background.
    Ben McLaughlin
    Palgrave's Golden Treasury, 2021
    oil on panel
    8 x 11 3/4 in
    20.3 x 29.8 cm
  • Leather couch, table with two coasters and lamp all depicted to the left of a door. To the left, microwave sits atop refrigerator with door slightly ajar.
    Ben McLaughlin
    05:35 Cruise with Stelios, 2013
    oil on panel
    4 7/8 x 8 5/8 inches/12.4 x 21.9 cm
    Inquire
    %3Cdiv%20class%3D%22artist%22%3EBen%20McLaughlin%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22title_and_year%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_title%22%3E05%3A35%20Cruise%20with%20Stelios%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_year%22%3E2013%3C/span%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22medium%22%3Eoil%20on%20panel%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22dimensions%22%3E4%207/8%20x%208%205/8%20inches/12.4%20x%2021.9%20cm%3C/div%3E
  • A hand is inserting a key into the round brass doorknob of a wooden door.
    Ben McLaughlin
    Reference Atlas Of Greater London, 2020
    oil on panel
    8 1/4 x 11 3/4 inches/21 x 30 cm
  • Against a black background, white, blue, and red spheres of many sizes fill the top two-thirds of the canvas.
    Ben McLaughlin
    Drawing and Painting for Young People, 2021
    oil on panel
    8 1/2 x 11 3/4 in
    21.6 x 29.8 cm
    Inquire
    %3Cdiv%20class%3D%22artist%22%3EBen%20McLaughlin%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22title_and_year%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_title%22%3EDrawing%20and%20Painting%20for%20Young%20People%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_year%22%3E2021%3C/span%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22medium%22%3Eoil%20on%20panel%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22dimensions%22%3E8%201/2%20x%2011%203/4%20in%3Cbr/%3E%0A21.6%20x%2029.8%20cm%3C/div%3E
  • Valley with dried up river separates two sides of rocky mountains with more mountains and sky in the background. Scene is painted in orange, brown and yellow hues.
    Ben McLaughlin
    Danube, 2017
    oil on panel
    8 x 12 inches/20.3 x 30.5 cm
  • Man sitting at desk with unidentifiable machine terminal is illuminated by single spotlight against dark background.
    Ben McLaughlin
    The Ghost Road, 2021
    oil on panel
    7 1/2 x 11 in
    19.1 x 27.9 cm
  • The top half of a pink house and a gray sky are seen behind a patchwork fence. A pole near the right side of the canvas separates the composition vertically.
    Ben McLaughlin
    The Rise and Fall of the Matinee Idol, 2021
    oil on panel
    8 1/4 x 11 3/4 in
    21 x 29.8 cm
    Inquire
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Installation Views
Open a larger version of the following image in a popup: side angle view of nine small paintings hung horizontally
Open a larger version of the following image in a popup: two white walls, one on the left with nine small paintings hung horizontally and one on the right with ten...
Open a larger version of the following image in a popup: middle white wall in gallery space with sixteen small paintings hung horizontally, flanked by two small walls on either side...
Open a larger version of the following image in a popup: wall on left with eight small paintings hung horizontally next to small wall with two small paintings hung horizontally next...
Open a larger version of the following image in a popup: side angle view of wall with 6 small paintings hung horizontally next to perpendicular wall with four small paintings also...
Open a larger version of the following image in a popup: Image 85
Open a larger version of the following image in a popup: angled view of wall with seven small paintings hung horizontally next to longer wall with ten small paintings hung horizontally.
Open a larger version of the following image in a popup: wall with eighteen small paintings hung horizontally
News
  • HG Magazine Issue no. 28

    HG Magazine Issue no. 28

    Studio Visit with Birgit Jensen; plus Liliana Porter, Ben McLaughlin, Isabella Kirkland, Patricia Piccinini, Cornelius Völker April 16, 2021
    Closing soon - Liliana Porter: The Riddle / Charada & Ben McLaughlin: Ex Libris Upcoming at the Gallery - Isabella Kirkland: THE SMALL MATTER &...
    Read more
  • HG Magazine Issue no. 27

    HG Magazine Issue no. 27

    Liliana Porter in the press & virtual event; plus Ben McLaughlin, Rina Banerjee, Isabella Kirkland, Patricia Piccinini, Max Gimblett, Lordy Rodriguez, Bruce & Jean Conner April 3, 2021
    Liliana Porter in Artforum and Artsy In Conversation: Liliana Porter & curator Humberto Moro Ben McLaughlin: Artwork Explained Art @ Home New to Inventory: Rina...
    Read more
  • HG Magazine Issue no. 26

    HG Magazine Issue no. 26

    Liliana Porter: The Riddle / Charada & Ben McLaughlin: Ex Libris open; plus Todd's 50 favorite novels, Alan Rath @ Art Basel OVR March 9, 2021
    Liliana Porter's The Riddle / Charada and Ben McLaughlin's Ex Libris open March 13, 2021 Todd Revisits His Favorite 50 Novels From the Last 50...
    Read more

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