Contemporary American artist John Torreano returns to the spotlight in East Hampton for his third solo exhibition with The Drawing Room. On view from May 31 through July 7, “John Torreano: Walks through the Veil Nebula” features recent paintings and watercolors inspired by the galaxies and informed by the artist’s ongoing exploration of illusion, perception, and the metaphysical potential of his chosen materials. Challenging traditional definitions of representation while mining the universal code he has found in the stars, Torreano distills the intangible mystery of the cosmos by translating outer space into painterly space.
The exhibition title references Torreano’s investigations of the Veil Nebula, the visible remains of a massive star that exploded thousands of years ago. Studying distinct views of this enigmatic network of glowing gas and dust captured in satellite images, Torreano transforms the supernova’s kaleidoscopic structures into flickering abstractions in sketchbook studies, watercolors and large format paintings. With the universe as his muse, Torreano likens his approach to the Veil Nebula to Paul Cézanne’s daily studies and strolls overlooking Montagne Sainte- Victoire.
Four luminous paintings comprising dabs of acrylic pigment interspersed with colorful faceted gems anchor the installation. Large in scale, each rhythmic composition transports the viewer to a vast celestial realm that hovers across the surface of stretched canvas. Related works on paper underscore the iterative nature of Torreano’s practice, in which intimate sketchbook studies and larger watercolors precede and follow monumental paintings. A rare selection of prismatic glass sculptures created in collaboration with the Pilchuck Glass School offers a window on his exploitation of the molten medium’s alchemical properties.
Early in his career Torreano became a central member within a generation of American artists who charted a path away from Postwar and Modernist ideologies to Postmodernism. A fundamental tenet that informs his process is the belief that the viewer is an active participant in the work.
John Torreano (b.1941, Flint, Mich.) has exhibited widely at public institutions and galleries including the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Corcoran Gallery, the Museum of Modern Art, New York, the Indianapolis Museum of Fine Arts, the Boulder Art Museum and the Parrish Art Museum. He received his BFA from the Cranbrook Academy of Art (1963), and his MFA from Ohio State University (1967) and is the recipient of awards from the Nancy Graves Foundation, the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts and the New York State Council of the Arts. He also taught at New York University’s Steinhardt School and Abu Dhabi campuses and is the author of “Drawing by Seeing” (Abrams 2007).
Torreano established a strong connection to the East End in the 1960s during a residency at the Edward Albee Foundation in Montauk, and bought a second home and studio in Sag Harbor in 2007.
He has since divided his time between studios in New York City and Sag Harbor, noting the particular impact that each environment has on his work.
The Drawing Room is at 55 Main Street in East Hampton. Gallery hours are Friday through Monday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and midweek by appointment. Visit drawingroom-gallery.com or call 631-324-5016 for details.
Staff Writer on May 25, 2025