Her feet appear at the bottom of the composition, as if the viewer is standing next to her a glimpse of a whip lies on the flower-patterned bed.īuckwalter often inserts the viewer into the action. A similar peek into a carnal scene appears in “Criss-Cross,” in which a kneeling woman bound with ropes is reflected in a mirror leaning on a wall covered in floral motifs. A game of solitaire on the table alludes to play, as well as the companionless subject awaiting a partner. In “Solitaire,” a figure is seen through a doorway sitting on all fours and looking back toward the viewer in anticipation. These items sometimes take the place of their users, or accompany people engaging in various sexually charged acts. Anne Buckwalter, “No Touching” (2023), gouache on panel, 18 x 14 inches In others, the risqué items are less conspicuous, such as the blue dildo arranged neatly on a shelf alongside a horse figurine, milk jar, and teapot in “The Moon’s Too Bright/The Chain’s Too Tight.” A painting of a young figure in colonial garb riding a gagged man like a horse hangs on the wall in the same piece. Some works contain cheeky objects like ropes, lingerie, and butt plugs, lined up and ready for use. Like a salacious game of eye-spy, Buckwalter’s paintings invite viewers to share in a semi-secret rendezvous. What happens outside the scope of each work is up to the viewer to decide. When people are present, they are seen partially through windows, doorframes, and computer screens, or reflected in mirrors. However, a closer glance reveals evidence of human activity, specifically suggestions of carnal acts in glimpses of sex toys, pornography, and underwear. Each interior resembles a relatively ordinary vignette with clean, orderly rooms and objects neatly arranged. Rendered in crisp gouache on smooth panel, the paintings on view (all 2023) mirror the flatness of the folk art tradition from which the artist draws inspiration. From the tableware to the wallpaper, furniture, and bedding, Buckwalter fills each painting with elaborate patterns and motifs, but here they feature unexpected, erotic twists. In Anne Buckwalter’s solo show, Reins on a Rocking Horseat Rachel Uffner Gallery, Pennsylvania Dutch folk art covers every surface of the artist’s quaint interior scenes. The tradition conveyed the agrarian culture’s appreciation of nature, family, craftsmanship, and domesticity. The style-characterized by decorative repeated motifs, including flowers, stars, and birds depicted in a colorful, flat manner - adorned textiles, wood furniture, and household objects. When Europeans immigrated to southeastern Pennsylvania over 300 years ago, they brought with them an aesthetic vernacular that became known as Pennsylvania Dutch folk art.
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