Anna Weyant (born 1995) is a Canadian artist based in New York City, whose figurative paintings blend influence from the Dutch Golden Age with an awareness of contemporary popular culture and social media.[1]
Anna Weyant | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1995 (age 28–29) Calgary, Alberta, Canada |
| Education | Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) |
| Occupation | Visual Artist |
Weyant has been represented globally since May 2022 by Gagosian Gallery, owned by Larry Gagosian, whom Weyant was in a relationship with for several years. The artist's relationship to Gagosian has been discussed widely in art publications and news outlets.[2][1][3]
Early life and education
editWeyant was born in Calgary, Alberta. She graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Rhode Island School of Design in 2017, where she studied painting. She moved to New York where she was joined by her brother, actor Austin Weyant.[3]
Work
editWeyant primarily works as figurative painter. Weyant has cited Dutch Masters, as well as contemporary artists like John Currin, as influences. Many of her works depict women rendered in dark, moody scenes.[4]
Art market
editWeyant was formerly represented by Blum & Poe but had a falling out with Tim Blum, a director at the gallery, before joining Gagosian Gallery in May 2022.[1]
In May 2022, Weyant's Falling Woman (2020) sold for US$1.62 million at Sotheby's in New York.[5][6][7] Falling Woman was consigned to sale by Tim Blum, Weyant's former gallerist, in what a reporter for Artnet News described as a "revenge consignment."[2] Falling Woman is also the featured artwork on the cover of Big Swiss, a 2023 novel by Jen Beagin.
Reception and criticism
editDiscussing the artist's exhibition splinter (2022) at Blum & Poe, Rae Niwa wrote in Flaunt that Weyant has a "meticulous approach to color and line," noting that "there is a spaciousness and lightness in the work."[8] Conversely, reporter and critic Alex Greenberger, writing for ARTnews, described Weyant's first solo exhibition with Gagosian Gallery, Baby, It Ain't Over Till It's Over (2022), as "an overly safe dud," labeling the show "just another market-ready figurative painting show in New York by a young painter."[9]
Prior to joining Gagosian Gallery, the artist's work received very little attention from curators, critics, and the media.[1][2] Weyant and her relationship with Larry Gagosian have since been extensively discussed in the media, with several critics connecting the relationship to Weyant's fast rise to prominence and high auction results so early in her career.[2][3][1] Others, including gallerists and artists supportive of Weyant, have said these claims and criticisms are misogynistic.[1][2][10] Artnet News reported in early 2024 that Weyant and Gagosian had separated, although she continued to be represented by his gallery.[11]
Exhibitions
editWeyant has staged four solo exhibitions: Welcome to the Dollhouse (2019), 56 Henry, New York;[12] Loose Screw (2021), Blum & Poe, Los Angeles;[13] splinter (2022), Blum & Poe, Tokyo;[14][15] and Baby, It Ain't Over Till It's Over (2022), Gagosian Gallery, New York.[16][17]
Weyant's work has also been featured in several group exhibitions, including Artists Inspired by Music: Interscope Reimagined (2022) at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g Crow, Kelly (June 18, 2022). "Three Years Ago, Her Art Sold for $400 at the Beach. Now It Fetches Up To $1.6 Million at Auction". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e Kazakina, Katya (May 6, 2022). "Rising Star Anna Weyant Has Joined Gagosian, Adding Momentum to Market Drama Playing Out Behind the Scenes". Artnet News. Artnet. Archived from the original on May 6, 2022. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
- ^ a b c Holmes, Helen (May 22, 2022). "The Making of Anna Weyant, Art's Hot New Superstar". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on November 8, 2022.
- ^ Greenberger, Alex (May 6, 2022). "27-Year-Old Painter Anna Weyant Becomes Youngest Artist to Join Gagosian Amid Rumors of Romantic Relationship". ARTnews. Archived from the original on October 12, 2022. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
- ^ Scott Reyburn (19 May 2022), Spring Auction Sales for Two Blockbuster Weeks Top $2.5 Billion New York Times.
- ^ Schultz, Abby. "Sotheby's Contemporary Sales Break Records, Realizing $283.4 Million". www.barrons.com. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
- ^ Greenberger, Alex; Villa, Angelica (May 20, 2022). "Women Steal the Show at Sotheby's $283.4 M. Contemporary Art Sales". ARTnews.com. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
- ^ Niwa, Rae (March 4, 2022). "ANNA WEYANT - THAT SLIVER IS PAINFUL". Flaunt. Archived from the original on November 30, 2022. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
- ^ Greenberger, Alex (November 8, 2022). "Anna Weyant's Buzzy Gagosian Debut Is an Overly Safe Dud". ARTnews. Archived from the original on November 11, 2022. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
- ^ Marple, Mieke (August 10, 2022). "Op-Ed: The Anna Weyant Media Circus Is a Window Into Art World Sexism and Power". ARTnews. Archived from the original on November 10, 2022. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
- ^ Armstrong, Annie (January 25, 2024). "Larry Gagosian and Anna Weyant Call It Quits, Two Dealers Talk N.Y. vs. L.A., and More Juicy Art World Gossip". Artnet News. Archived from the original on January 25, 2024. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
- ^ "Anna Weyant Paints Figures of Playful Rebellion". Art of Choice. April 10, 2020. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
- ^ "Loose Screw « Exhibitions « Blum & Poe". blumandpoe.com. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
- ^ "CV « Anna Weyant « Artists « Blum & Poe". www.blumandpoe.com. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
- ^ "Splinter « Exhibitions « Blum & Poe". www.blumandpoe.com. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
- ^ "Anna Weyant: Baby, It Ain't Over Till It's Over, 980 Madison Avenue, New York, November 3–December 23, 2022". Gagosian. September 9, 2022. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
- ^ "Meet the Youngest Artist Represented by Gagosian". Harper's BAZAAR. November 4, 2022. Retrieved November 6, 2022.