Karen Carson

La Condition Humaine

September 10 – October 8, 2011

Karen Carson

Installation view. 2011

Karen Carson

Installation view. 2011

Karen Carson
Innocent Misunderstanding. 2011
Acrylic on unstretched canvas
53 x 79 1/2"
 
(KC11 01)
Karen Carson
Quiet Modesty. 2011
Acrylic on unstretched canvas
45 x 63"
 
(KC11 02)
Karen Carson
Insatiable Desire. 2011
Acrylic on unstretched canvas
58 x 72"
 
(KC11 03)
Karen Carson
Hungry Ghost. 2011
Acrylic on unstretched canvas
56 1/2 x 78 1/2"
 
(KC11 04)
Karen Carson
Great Joy. 2011
Acrylic on unstretched canvas
52 1/4 x 64 1/2"
 
(KC11 05)
Karen Carson
Resting Mind. 2011
Acrylic on unstretched canvas
52 1/4 x 78"
 
(KC11 06)
Karen Carson
Repetitive Misery. 2011
Acrylic on unstretched canvas
47 x 58 1/2"
 
(KC11 07)
 
Karen Carson
Courageous Heart. 2011
Acrylic on unstretched canvas
52 x 82 3/4"
 
(KC11 08)
Karen Carson
Loving Kindness. 2011
Acrylic on unstretched canvas
56 x 73"
 
(KC11 09)
Karen Carson
Total Empathy. 2011
Acrylic on unstretched canvas
64 1/2 x 45"
 
(KC11 10)
Karen Carson
Chronic Envy. 2011
Acrylic on unstretched canvas
56 3/4 x 72"
 
(KC11 11)
Karen Carson
Right Thought. 2011
Acrylic on unstretched canvas
61 x 46"
 
(KC11 12)
Karen Carson

Installation view. 2011

Karen Carson

Installation view. 2011

Karen Carson
Power Mad. 2011
Acrylic on unstretched canvas
61 1/2 x 73"
 
(KC11 13)
Karen Carson
Thoroughly Present. 2011
Acrylic on unstretched canvas
62 x 62"
 
(KC11 14)
Karen Carson
Rude Awakening. 2011
Acrylic on unstretched canvas
60 1/4 x 39 3/4"
 
(KC11 15)
Karen Carson
Periodic Happiness. 2011
Acrylic on unstretched canvas
80 x 82 1/2"
 
(KC11 16)
Karen Carson
Constant Paranoia. 2011
Acrylic on unstretched canvas
52 3/4 x 56"
 
(KC11 17)
Karen Carson
Appropriate Anger. 2011
Acrylic on unstretched canvas
68 1/2 x 73 1/2"
 
(KC11 18)
Karen Carson
Deep Repose. 2011
Acrylic on unstretched canvas
56 x 44 3/4"
 
(KC11 19)
Karen Carson
Overly Optimistic. 2011
Acrylic on unstretched canvas
82 x 80”
 
(KC11 20)
Karen Carson
Tremendous Aspirations. 2011
Acrylic on unstretched canvas
45 x 76 3/4”
 
(KC11 21)
Karen Carson
Passionate Thoughts. 2011
Acrylic on unstretched canvas
55 1/4 x 75 1/2”
 
(KC11 22)
Karen Carson
Radical Acceptance. 2011
Acrylic on unstretched canvas
49 x 77”
 
(KC11 23)
Karen Carson
Profound Grief. 2011
Acrylic on unstretched canvas
57 x 73”
 
(KC11 24)
 
Karen Carson
Crazy Wisdom. 2011
Acrylic on unstretched canvas
43 1/4 x 61 1/2”
 
(KC11 25)
Karen Carson
Trance of Fear. 2011
Acrylic on unstretched canvas
51 1/4 x 69 1/2”
 
(KC11 26)

Press Release

Rosamund Felsen Gallery is pleased to present La Condition Humaine, the eighteenth solo exhibition at our gallery by Los Angeles- and Montana-based artist Karen Carson. For this show, Carson continues to investigate how models of painting (and image-making) align with models of subjectivity, taste and criticism.

Employing components of various pictorial languages, most notably the punchy graphics of circus and carnival signage along with nods to modernist and pop-era practices, Carson’s La Condition Humaine presents a confounding series of colorful, banner-like paintings on canvas. Each work depicts a large face coupled with a phrase or term. While these works–with titles like “Chronic Envy,” or “Repetitive Misery”–look something like signs for carnival attractions, they operate as prompts, where the viewer, having a job to do, considers how the words relate to, or divert from, the abstracted faces. Can anything be “read” into these relationships between words and pictures? And does a title/caption/phrase make the job any easier? These works share something with the work of the advertising sloganeer, using language+image to tap into desires before they can be verbalized (or even recognized). The words here, painted in large, kitschy typeface, induce a strange conflation then, where the text references itself at the same time that it references something completely non-verbal, perhaps psychological. And this is where Carson’s deft painting skills and sly humor take effect. These works are as multi-faceted as a Braque painting; faces are circus clowns and art historical homage. Carson’s work isn’t a critique of popular culture (circus that it is), but in fact is motivated by reverence for our emotional connection to images of all strata.