The Art Show – Seth Becker: Paintings & Postcards

Stand D5
October 29 – November 2, 2024

Park Avenue Armory
643 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10065
 

(New York, NY) – For the 2024 edition of The Art Show, hosted by the Art Dealers Association of America (ADAA) at the Park Avenue Armory, Venus Over Manhattan is pleased to present Seth Becker: Paintings & Postcards. The exhibition will feature a suite of new paintings presented alongside a selection of real photo postcards from the artist's collection. Having recently announced representation of the artist, the presentation coincides with the release of his first major monograph, Seth Becker: Chamber Music, published by American Art Catalogues. Seth Becker: Paintings & Postcards will be on view at the Park Avenue Armory from October 29th through November 2nd.

Seth Becker: Paintings & Postcards features a group of new oil paintings by the artist, presented alongside a selection of real photo postcards from the artist's collection.  The presentation explores the complex dynamic between the artist as both creator and collector of images.

Building upon the imagery from his recent solo exhibition, A Boy's Head, this presentation assembles a diverse range of subjects, including a  horse thief, a rabbit's head, a hummingbird moth, a toy train, a pheasant, and a zoetrope, among other imagery. Consistently small in format, the paintings stage unfamiliar scenes that highlight the artist's interest in narrative, as well as his technical facility. Elephant Talking Machine features a circus elephant interacting with a gramophone, and Frog Sign captures a young boy casting a frog-shaped shadow. Working to recapture a sense of mystery and joy found in the exploration of the strange or inexplicable, Becker's works mount a quiet argument on behalf of wonder.

Presented alongside the paintings are selections from Becker's collection of real photo postcards—a unique form of vintage postcard introduced in the early 1900s, printed directly onto postcard stock using Kodak’s postcard camera. These postcards, often capturing mundane scenes with unexpected artistry, serve as a rich source of inspiration for the artist. Though the relationship between the postcards and the paintings is never direct, the postcards actively shape Becker’s visual vocabulary, providing architectural frameworks and narrative elements that inform his compositions. Offering a window into his search for the unexpected, the uncanny, and the beautifully unusual, this presentation explores the nature of image-making and collecting, viewing these two impulses as parallel processes of discovery and creation. Situated at the juncture of these interests, the exhibition underscores the relationship between the collector’s archival impulse and the artist’s creative drive.

The artist's presentation for The Art Show coincides with the release of Seth Becker: Chamber Music, the artist's first major monograph, published by American Art Catalogues. This 250-page volume features over 200 paintings produced since 2016, and includes several that no longer exist, reflecting Becker's iterative practice of repurposing earlier works into new compositions. Developed in close collaboration with the artist, the book features a short introduction and offers an intimate view into his developing practice.

Coinciding with the book's release, American Art Catalogues will host a book launch and reception on Friday, November 1st at their West Village space. Additionally, a  focused presentation of older paintings featured in the publication will be on view at American Art Catalogues from November 1st through December 6th, 2024.

For additional information about the presentation, please contact the gallery at info@venusovermanhattan.com

ABOUT SETH BECKER

Seth Becker was born in 1987 in New York. He received his BA from Marymount Manhattan College, his BFA from the New York Studio School, and his MLS from Queens College. His work has been the subject of  numerous solo exhibitions, including recent presentations at Venus Over Manhattan, New York; Pamela Salisbury Gallery, Hudson; and Castle Gallery, Los Angeles. Becker’s work frequently features in group exhibitions including recent presentations at Karma, Thomaston; Lévy, Gorvy, Dayan, New York; Helena Anrather, New York; Cob Gallery, London, Sibyl Gallery, New Orleans; Pamela Salisbury Gallery, Hudson; Sykes Gallery, Millersville University; and the Susquehanna Art Museum, Harrisburg. Becker lives and works in Newburgh, New York.

EXHIBITION + PUBLICATION DETAILS 

Seth Becker: Paintings & Postcards
Venus Over Manhattan at The Art Show
October 29 – November 2, 2024
Stand D5, The Park Avenue Armory
643 Park Ave, New York, NY 10065

Benefit Preview: Tuesday, October 29th, 5:00 – 9:00 PM
Wednesday, October 30th, 12:00 – 7:00 PM
Thursday, October 31st, 12:00 – 7:00 PM
Friday, November 1st, 12:00 – 7:00 PM
Saturday, November 2st, 12:00 – 6:00 PM

Seth Becker: Chamber Music
Book Launch & Presentation Opening
Wednesday, October 25th, 6:00 - 8:00 PM
American Art Catalogues
239 West 4th Street, New York, NY 10014

Seth Becker: Chamber Music
Published by American Art Catalogues
Available October 25th, 2024
250 pages; edition of 900
$ 50.00
 

ABOUT VENUS OVER MANHATTAN

Venus Over Manhattan is dedicated to illuminating the work of a diverse range of historical and contemporary artists through dynamic rotating exhibitions and scholarly publications. Since it was founded by Adam Lindemann in 2012, the gallery has been responsible for revitalizing and establishing commercial, scholarly, and public interest for artists such as Peter Saul, Richard Mayhew, and Joan Brown. Venus Over Manhattan operates from two locations on Great Jones Street and its distinct exhibitions program, which has recently featured works by Claude Lawrence, Peter Saul, Richard Mayhew, Chéri Samba, Keiichi Tanaami, and Joan Brown, attracts a broad spectrum of collectors, curators, writers, and arts enthusiasts. As art world trends continue to shift, Venus Over Manhattan remains steadfast in its focus on the discovery of artists across generations, geographies, and cultures and to expanding the depth of artists celebrated across global institutions, by audiences, and within the art market.