In a recent video call, artist Piper Bangs shared her thoughts on the interpretation of her artwork. “While I have very specific ideas about what’s happening in the paintings, I love when people engage with them and form their own interpretations,” she said. “It’s crucial for me that the paintings remain open-ended, allowing viewers to imagine different narratives.”
Originally from San Antonio, Texas, and now based in Los Angeles, Bangs graduated from the Laguna College of Art and Design in May 2024, where she focused on painting and drawing. Her first solo exhibition “Flora” took place in 2022 at the Watermill Center in New York, followed by a second solo show, “Flora II,” early last year in collaboration with Estia’s Little Kitchen in Sag Harbor. This month, she is set to make her Los Angeles debut with “Piper Bangs: Fruiting Body,” opening at the newly established Megan Mulrooney Gallery from September 14 to October 26, 2024.
Mulrooney has taken over three spaces previously occupied by Nino Mier Gallery, which closed all its Los Angeles locations. Bangs was initially scheduled for a solo show with Mier in June, but with the gallery changes, her exhibition was picked up by Mulrooney, marking a significant moment for both the artist and the gallery as they embark on new beginnings.
Bangs’ paintings are rich with a fleshy, organic quality that evokes a sense of fantasy. The works in “Fruiting Body” feature “fruits” that blend figurative elements with object-like characteristics. While some pieces may appear grotesque, others convey a sense of charm. The title references the spore-producing reproductive organ of fungi, hinting at Bangs’s thematic focus.
“When I started conceptualizing these ‘fruits’ about a year or two ago, I was influenced by Renoir and reading classic works by Linda Nochlin. Instead of creating traditional figurative paintings, I aimed to avoid sexualized depictions of women,” Bangs explained. “I wanted to explore themes related to my experiences, so I created ‘fruit characters’ that embody narratives from a young woman’s perspective, touching on community, sensuality, and knowledge sharing.”
Initially inspired by the natural shape of pears, Bangs incorporated imaginative elements and rendering techniques. “I wanted them to feel fleshy and anthropomorphic, with characteristics like stomach rolls and cellulite, yet they’ve evolved beyond realism.” Her paintings tell stories through vignettes, showcasing moments of exploration and growth, symbolized by a “mentor tree” from which the fruits emerge.
In her work "Pearls and Onlookers" (2024), the fleshy fruits resemble slugs on a teal tree, with pearls hanging between the branches, alluding to the phrase “pearls of wisdom.” One green fruit seems to reject the pearls, while a droopy gray fruit is adorned with several pearls, with more cascading down. Pearls also appear in "Transferring" (2024), where smaller fruits gather around a larger one laden with pearls, sharing them across their stems.
Bangs’s classical influences are evident in "Bathers" (2024), which recalls en plein air scenes inspired by Édouard Manet and traditional still lifes influenced by 17th-century Dutch and Spanish artists. Despite the fantastical nature of her subjects, Bangs employs traditional techniques that evoke a timeless quality.
Trained in French academic painting, Bangs meticulously develops each canvas, starting with thumbnails that evolve into detailed compositions using grisaille underpainting. This process allows her creative freedom in the finer details, blending techniques from Old Master and Rococo styles to create works that feel both contemporary and timeless.
While Bangs aims to keep her canvases open to interpretation, she also sees them as a space for continued exploration. “I’m drawn to the uncanny in the mood of my paintings. Though they are fantastical, I want them to inch closer to reality, so viewers can almost believe in the worlds I create,” she said.
Sayart / Kang In sig insig6622@naver.com
