CRISTINA BANBAN: 14TH STREET MADONNA
Skarstedt is pleased to announce the latest exhibition, Cristina BanBan: 14th Street Madonna.
November 7 – December 21, 2024
The word “Madonna” has many origins and connotations. Tracing its roots to the Latin mea domina, or “my mistress,” which is the feminine form of dominus, or “master,” it took further shape in the old Italian ma donna, or “lady.” Within these phrases lies a duality of the soft feminine lady and the more dominant dame or madam. This juxtaposition of the many faces of femininity, seen through the lens of contemporary society, binds together the new works on view.
While BanBan’s work is not autobiographical in the strict sense of the word, there is something personal and diaristic in each of her paintings. Taking influence from such things as major life events, all the way down to the little things she notices as she traverses the city, the works on view in 14th Street Madonna reveal who BanBan is in the moment in which she makes each work—what excites her, what intrigues her, what piques her curiosity. Sometimes, these influences are a conscious choice, such as the benches, plants, and windows that crop up in several paintings. Other times, they are unconscious, an element BanBan does not fully understand until the work is complete.
This shows up through the abstracted architectural elements that appear throughout some of the works on view. Women lean on railings, sit on benches, or stand in front of a window as if they are moving between boroughs on the subway alongside BanBan. Continuously charting a path between pure representation and pure abstraction, these elements are discovered through looking closely at these compositions. Whether consciously noticed or not, they lend a newfound sense of groundedness and contemporaneity. This modern aura continues in the accessories worn by many of these figures. A mainstay of her earlier work, the inclusion of things like underwear, high heels, or knee-high socks are donned in all kinds of colors and patterns.
If the women of BanBan’s previous paintings were more universal in their scope, those shown in 14th Street Madonna are imbued with a greater sense of personality and a more personal touch while remaining entirely relatable.