Evelyn Twitchell: Recent Work
Constantin Brancusi stated that, "What is real is not the external form, but the essence of things." Abandoning the confines of particular objects, setups, places, and figures–whatever is nameable–allows abstract art the possibility of representing something more essential, something even more true than the embodied form. Evelyn Twitchell has been at this game for years, and demonstrates her mastery of it in her current show, Evelyn Twitchell: Recent Work, at Bowery Gallery.
Evelyn Twitchell, Vault, oil on canvas, 12x24 inches, 2022
Of a recent body of work, Twitchell writes, “These abstract paintings are about taking note—of both the natural landscape outside my studio and my own interior landscape. I paint not what I see, but what resonates.” It is clear to see the reference to the natural world in her work, as she employs organic forms and color to construct her compositions. If she wanted to make landscapes, she would have gone outside and painted landscapes. But these paintings are more than that–they are interior landscapes. They are in-flections, emotional and cerebral, whose reference is landscape.
Evelyn Twitchell, Progression, oil on canvas, 24x24 inches, 2025
It makes me think about a quote from Martin Heidegger, who famously stated, “Language is the house of Being.” As a young philosophy student, a professor once described this to me when he said, “Saying the word ‘woods’ is like being in the woods.” I left that conversation saying “Woods” out loud to myself, and then I allowed my mind to go where the word led me. A forest opened up in my mind. The light hitting the leaves and the branches of the trees, the rhythmic verticals of thin and thick trunks as my mind’s eyes moved from left to right, the feeling of loneliness and awe–all of this came to mind when I uttered the word “woods.” In a very similar way, Twitchell’s work opens the same forest inside of me.
Evelyn Twitchell, Shallows, Oil on canvas, 24x20 inches, 2025
In particular, Shallows demonstrates this phenomenon. Upon initial glance, one might just see subtle shifts between green and light blue, with hits of orange. Lines that construct and define space, with slight color modulations creating a thick atmosphere. A foreground begins to appear, where the eye can enter and meander around the slowly emerging ground, with tree-like verticals materializing more and more with each pass. The dark rusty orange on the right vertical edge of the picture plane is a critical compositional decision that grounds the lighter orange vertical on the left and allows the slow accrual of blue layers to truly sing.
Evelyn Twitchell, April, oil on canvas, 36x48 inches, 2025
This show is certain to be a knockout. Evelyn Twitchell: Recent Work, is on view from September 30 until October 25, 2025. An opening reception will be on Thursday, October 9, 2025 from 5-8pm.
-Eileen Mooney.
