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Anna Glantz – Lichens at The Approach, East London – There’s a portrait on the wall, part of  this new show that opened last night, a portrait on a blue background that you maybe don’t notice at first as other paintings, the ducks and the flowers that slightly mysterious larger piece, the one with the woman and the bag at the end of the room that take your attention first – I almost said demand your attention first, but nothing needs to demand in here. That smaller painting, just a face on a light blue background, a seemingly simple painting, a modest size (far from simple of course), a beautiful painting, a pure painting, just a gorgeous painting. This is the LA-Based artist’s second show at the gallery, a subtle show, quiet, clever, unassuming, something rather positive   

Though lichens often obscure the carving and lettering on churchyard memorials their form is attractive and headstones look sterile and bleak when cleaned – Jack R. Laundon, “Lichens” 1986

“The Approach is pleased to present Lichens by LA based painter Anna Glantz, her second solo exhibition at the gallery. For this show, Glantz has produced eight oil paintings of varying scales that move between figuration, almost-landscape and nearly-abstract. Apple greens blend with gallery floor greys and midnight blues. Features emerge from the canvas surface: a stocky foot, a benecklaced goose, the sun rising over a hill, an enamel floral pin”.

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It doesn’t feel like much when you first walk in, modest you might say, these aren’t pieces alive with demanding colour, they don’t jump off the wall and shout for your attention, no great noise, no demands made, they just slowly introduce themselves. Sublime, politely inviting you to come in, to talk to them, with them, quietly, beautifully. Intriguing, suggestive, poetic, and why is there a duck? Or a seemingly decorative flower not falling off or growing out of the canvas, just there, just meaning something (surely?)

“While the imagery is mostly recognizable, narrative is consciously pushed to the side. The paintings resist being “about” one thing or another, and instead do something closer to brooding. They fixate and simmer, but often with a lightly decorative touch. Glantz works intuitively, building up the paint slowly over time. As though writing a poem, she edits, revises, and bit by bit, pushes the work toward a moment when the image might lock into place and begin to reverberate on its own”.

Anna Glantz (b. 1989 Concord, MA) lives and works in Los Angeles. she has exhibited all over the world, she was last here in London at the Approach in 2020, she is,on the strength of this show, a painter to see, it is worth the walk up those creaky stairs above the pub. Once again I’m really not sure how much of the delight comes over via online photos of the work, these paintings are alive, they need to be seen in the flesh and there’s so much in there once you do take the time. These are paintings to just stand with, pieces that take the time to talk to you if you allow them to. 

Loved this exhibition, a refreshing show, it felt no need to shout or celebrate itself, no need for noise, just a quietly considered set of rewarding paintings that challenge if you let them. Kind of didn’t realise it until the morning after the opening the night before but this just might be one of the finest exhibitions of paintings I’ve been to in quite some time. The quiet of it all was rather refreshing, the quiet of the paint.. Recommended. (sw)  

The Approach is found on the first floor above the pub, 47 Approach Road, Bethnal Green, London E2 9LY, Access to the gallery via The Approach Tavern pub, there’s a brown door at the end of the left side of the bar that the staff may or may not feel like pointing out to you. The gallery IS open Wednesday to Saturday (although some places say Tuesday) 12–6pm or by appointment, The Anna Glantz rxhbition runs until December 16th.

As always, do click on an image to see the whole thing, and do note these photos or the phots on te gallery’s own website do the work no justice.. The Approach is not a camera friendly space.