Running through life at lightning speed simply isn’t sustainable in oppressive heat, a realization New Yorkers must face this month as the city faces bridge-breaking temperatures. Anticipating our collective need for rejuvenation and cool air during the summer’s peak, the tastemaking arts platform Visionary Projects has curated “It’s Time to Slow Down,” a group show on view in New York’s Financial District through August 13 that glorifies languid afternoons spent unwinding.
In partnership with Anderson Contemporary, curators Haylee Barsky and Blayne Planit unite 42 artists whose works are loosely connected, each expressing some inchoate memory, longing, scene, or concept that emerges when the chatter of the mind subsides. Hailing from Germany to Mexico City, Chicago to Seoul, the artists on display (mostly painters) capture book clubs and breakups, laundry and dreams, nude naps and baths, and meals in revelry and silence.
Slowing down heightens our awareness of our environment, a concept not lost on Barsky and Planit who selected the skylit, tree-filled atrium of a towering skyscraper in the historic Coenties Slip neighborhood as the fitting locale for the show. A strong alternative to the fatigued white cube, the atrium is not only a rare indoor public green space but an “oasis” off Wall Street said Barksy, “that not many people know exists.”
Each work offers a revelation, a truth exposed in slowness. As the dog days of summer swelter on, I’ve asked seven stand-out painters from “It’s Time to Slow Down” to share their creative inspiration and how they’re passing these long late summer days in the sun.
Here are 7 Rising Painters on Embracing the Creative Calm of Summer
Images are courtesy of Visionary Projects and Anderson Contemporary
What inspired this work? Connecting with my Queer and artist friends in nature—my chosen family—-truly heals my soul. I wanted to capture the hidden histories of Queer intimacy and sexuality in this work, particularly in San Francisco’s beautiful parks and natural surroundings. These spaces, which were once secret havens for Queer individuals to explore their sexuality, now inspire a vision where POC bodies can intertwine, connect, confidently take up the space, and express their sexuality unapologetically and safely.
How are you unwinding? As an artist, it’s crucial to do nothing sometimes. I have to respect when my body tells me to stop. I’ve been finding cool, shaded spots to relax and be with nature, and spending time on the beach and in the park. Just appreciating the slower pace of life.
Images are courtesy of Visionary Projects and Anderson Contemporary
What inspired this work? I can’t pin this work to a singular moment but rather a slow and continuous build. It was created last summer while I was in Bali with a few friends doing a kind of self-directed artist residency. Maybe that’s why it ended up so bright orange and yellow, subconsciously bringing in some of that summer sun.
How are you unwinding? At times the urge to fully submerge my body in water is palpable. So I try to indulge in the urge. I once had an older artist friend tell me about his concept of input and output time. We output, output, output as artists all the time. Always thinking, making, creating, occupying our idle hands. Having moments to do non-art-related things is vital to fill the tank back up.
Images are courtesy of Visionary Projects and Anderson Contemporary
What inspired this work? I was born with a form of facial palsy—paralysis of the left side of my face. Although I had surgeries as a child, growing up I felt very embarrassed, and it harmed my self-image. Book Club was inspired by Smile, a memoir by Sarah Ruhl about the author’s experience suffering from Bell’s palsy as an adult. The painting is an imagined scene of a group of women, all different versions of me, reading and discussing the book with the author.
How are you unwinding? I’ve been making time to go for walks when it cools down in the evening, and appreciating all the flowers blooming in my yard and neighborhood. As an artist, it’s very important to know when to push through and when it’s time to take a break. New ideas are often generated outside the studio, while out on a walk, sitting in a train or car, or drawing in my sketchbook without any defined goals.
Images are courtesy of Visionary Projects and Anderson Contemporary
What inspired this work? When I got wrapped up in a round of layoffs at my job, I wanted to use my art to remind myself that there is more to life than working. For me, that was back to a place of nostalgic, youthful summers. When I think about summer, it’s the clothes I wore on repeat and the smell of fresh laundry. Simple and idyllic—that’s what I wanted this painting to be.
How are you unwinding? I wait all year for summer so I want to enjoy every moment, even though it always seems to be the busiest season. In the summer I’m always surrounded by friends and family and even though it’s hectic there’s always an underlying laziness about it. Nothing seems stressful and I love that about it.
Images are courtesy of Visionary Projects and Anderson Contemporary
What inspired this work? This work speaks to a time when I was overwhelmed by everything happening around me, personally, politically, and socially. I felt an urgent need to surrender. In Peaches and Cream, a woman reclines on a table covered with a cloth, embodying a blend of posing, devotion, and resignation. Beside her rests a bowl of peaches, traditionally associated with sensuality. However, her doll-like expression suggests a deeper emotion, conveying a sense of exhaustion or reluctance, as if she’s reached her limit despite holding onto the symbol of allure in her hand.
How are you unwinding? Spending time at MacCarren Park, visiting quieter galleries, or simply enjoying a peaceful coffee in a less crowded café helps me reconnect with my inner self. This downtime allows me to process experiences, gather new inspiration, and let my subconscious work through creative problems.
Images are courtesy of Visionary Projects and Anderson Contemporary
What inspired this work? This was a lovely moment with my partner who captured an image of me while I was getting ready for an event. This painting speaks about internal duality and voyerism, themes represented by the different colors of the figure and its mirrored images, while externally inviting the viewer to participate as a voyeur of this particular moment. For me, painting exemplifies the act of “slowing down”; as a figurative artist I capture a frozen moment within a canvas.
How are you unwinding? I’ve spent far too much time disassociating and disregarding my own feelings to just get by. Rest and creating space for reflections is so integral to growth. To be honest, the only time I can move quickly in the summertime is when I’m walking barefoot on hot pavement.
Images are courtesy of Visionary Projects and Anderson Contemporary
What inspired this work? This work is part of a series of works about who gets to relax in society. All the paintings are surrealist interpretations of Black working-class women in yoga positions made into monuments. This painting depicts a person on vacation (on top) and a person judging their vacation photos (on the bottom). Even though summer is the ultimate relaxation season, not everyone gets to slow down.
How are you unwinding? With global warming making the Earth so much hotter, you have to count your smallest yet important blessings, like being able to be inside in air conditioning versus having to work outside in the heat. Choosing to be in the heat (preferably at the beach) is always on my mind. I also read a lot more in the summer like I’m 10 years old again.
Annie Lyall Slaughter is a Virginia-born writer and artist based in New York. Her art writing can be found in Cultured, Artsy, Whitehot, and various other publications. She can be reached on Instagram or through her website.
