Paul Wackers: The Space We Take

SF/Arts Curator Insight

I recently installed slatted metal shelves across the window over my kitchen sink, which I populated with succulents of various sizes and shapes. The arrangement immediately reminded me of Paul Wackers, this poor man’s recreation of the domestic tableaux found in the artist’s still lifes. Painted in New York City during the pandemic, Wackers' seventh solo show with Harwood, takes a more contemplative tone. While the color palette has brightened, the show’s title is about both the space we are encouraged to take as well as the space we must leave (public, social, and for those who refuse to mask up) during a plague.