Jane Dickson's five decades of work fundamentally explores the interconnection between desire and entertainment. Her early paintings from the 1980s depict carnivals and theme parks in Times Square, drawing on nocturnal compositions where neon lights contrast with dark backgrounds. Revisiting these themes in the early twenty-first century, her recent exhibition, Wonder Wheel, showcases artworks from 2004 to 2025 that depict New York's fairgrounds, emphasizing both their artificial allure and the shifting perspectives of visitors. Dickson's works reflect personal ties to locations like the Feast of San Gennaro and showcase a rich exploration of visual beauty and experience.
Dickson's emphasis on the symmetry of the iron spokes evokes Joseph Stella's late-1930s paintings of the Brooklyn Bridge, raising the aesthetic experience.
The artist's earlier works from the 1980s reflect a fascination with spectacle, translating photographs into compositions rich with neon lights against darkness.
Wonder Wheel emphasizes how fairgrounds seduce not despite their artificiality but because of it, highlighting the pleasure derived from such constructed environments.
From the Ferris Wheel (2025) captures stark shadows cast by lights as seen from a gondola, illustrating the evolution of Dickson's photographic practice.
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