Second Street Gallery is pleased to present People in Empty Places, a solo exhibition of new paintings by Lev Keatts in the Dové Gallery, September 1 - 29, 2023. The exhibition will open on First Friday, September 1 from 5:30-7:30pm, where the artist will be present to chat with attendees.

Lev Keatts (they/them) presents a series of new paintings that blur the line between psychological states and the physical world. This body of work is inspired by the artist’s interest in gothic fiction, a genre which is characterized by dramatic emotions and the setting serving as a character. Keatts is drawn to the idea of a location being personified or taking on the characteristics of the people interacting within it, and imbues this inspiration into their paintings through a combination of self-portraiture and non-representational abstract elements.

Keatts was selected from a competitive pool of artists as Teeny Tiny Trifecta 5’s Curator’s Choice Exhibition Pick.

This exhibition is generously sponsored by the Galdencio-Pontillo Family and The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.

In conjunction with this exhibition, Second Street Gallery is hosting a hands-on Creative Self-Portrait Workshop with the artist on Wednesday, September 6 from 6 - 7:30PM. Learn more and RSVP HERE.

Lev Keatts’ People in Empty Places explores the connections between individuals and the lingering emotions they leave behind. This exhibition of new paintings delves into the intricacy of human interactions, inviting viewers to reflect on memory and sentiment. Through this body of work, Keatts intends to evoke a location or object acting as a catalyst for rekindling the emotions experienced within those spaces.

Through a series of recurrent, distorted images, Keatts renders imperfect memories, deeply pondered upon. Each iteration speaks to the transient nature of recollection. The subjects' contemplation of feelings recontextualizes their memories, further resulting in the evolving distortions within the paintings. Beyond manipulation of imagery, Keatts also uses distorted canvases which extend the disruption beyond the confines of the artwork itself, encroaching upon the viewer's physical space. By altering both the image and the canvas, Keatts aims to blur the line between artistic representation and reality.