Elizabeth Peyton

by Elizabeth Peyton, Matthew Higgs (Introduction), Steve Lafreniere (Contributor)

American artist Elizabeth Peyton is one of the outstanding painters of her generation, a painter known for her intimate figurative portraits of youthful, romantic people, ranging from friends, to historical figures, to music world celebrities. Her work is intensely personal, but the subject becomes an intimate of both audience and artist. Peyton's ability to draw the viewer in is a result of her own fascination and curiosity about the figures she chooses. They are stylish in a timeless way and are at moments in their lives when they stand for their own ideals of independence, beauty, and artistry. Her manner is to paint small, devotional images in an "awkward, self-effacing way with an offhand intensity." Compiled by Peyton herself, the book chronicles ten years of inspiration, her works in many media, and her exhibitions, revealing the evolution of this exceptional artist who has been highly influential, in the words of the New York Times, in bringing "a return to beauty in art, a resurgence of figurative work, and a revival of painting."

Genres: Art

264 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2005

Reviews

[Tosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elizabeth Peyton is for sure going to be one of the most popular painters of the early 21st Century. You can feel the buzz about her - and you know what? She's great. I love her because she romanticzes her subject matters into great dandy figures. And for that alone I love her.

This Rizzoli book is sort of her greatest hits so far. Also it's nice to see an artist working on pen or paint on paper/canvas. Just to admire the crafts(wo)man ship of the work. Great.

[Catherine Corman · Rating 3 out of 5]

She'll fantasize about a character like the Queen or Napoleon or Elvis or whoever, and imagine them abstracted from time and space - as pure images. They achieve a kind of perfection or idealism that she likes to see in people. It's a kind of connection to a time, her own time, but it's also fairly hermetic.

-Craig Wadlin on Elizabeth Peyton

[Alexandra Infante · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful reproductions

[Jeremy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is like a children's picture book - but for grown up, pop-fan romantics.

[Jill]

Great story by David Hockney. The plates are brilliant and the interview with EP is quite interesting.

[reading is my hustle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elizabeth Peyton is a brushwork ROCKSTAR.

Love her, love her work, love her palette, and love her melancholy.