Genesis Belanger

Seemingly mundane items— from fruits and flowers to cigarette stubs, lipstick tubes, and stray pills—are rendered strange as they become surrogates for the body, evoking both comfort and disquiet. 

Belanger conjures associations rich in references from Pop Art to the Surrealist object to seventeenth-century Dutch vanitas paintings, yet her work’s psychic impact remains acutely attuned to archetypes of the present. Belanger’s elegantly smooth and supple forms often contrast with their darkly humorous insinuations relating to pertinent subjects such as mass production, chemical dependency, and the absurdity of patriarchy.

Belanger presents a new installation in the window of the New Museum’s 231 Bowery building.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website.