In this Olympic season, GearBox Gallery is pleased to present Victorious, recent paintings by Jane Fisher depicting masculinity in the moment of triumph. Fisher has a long history of exploring human beings in the performance of roles that capture her interest, body builders, dictators, their wives, stock show contestants, security guards, tourists, cheerleaders and athletes. Here, we see a parade of the victorious from many fields of athletic endeavor such as jiu jistsu, weightlifting, diving and wrestling.

It’s rare to see an art gallery full of portraits of young men, much less those in unabashed displays of dominance. These are not the authoritative self-contained portraits of presidents or CEO’s, rather a feast of exuberance and heady achievement. Fisher’s direct and confident painting style is well matched to her subject matter. Sometimes shaded by relief or surprise, the prevailing attitudes are the immediacy of certainty and jubilation. As observers and fans of the game we might share in the glory of the winning moment with a smile of recognition and a sense of satisfaction. The keen viewer may quickly extrapolate to the fleetingness of the sensations and the inevitability of the aftermath. 

Painting from sources like collegiate wrestling publications, vintage bodybuilding magazines, and her own photographs; Fisher takes advantage of the pixilation that occurs when significantly enlarging an image to create abstract areas of color shapes that culminate into the illusion of form. Using alternative painting tools such as credit cards to apply the paint, she creates surfaces that reflect the physicality of the subject matter.