Having shown in Los Angeles in the early 1980s, Dan Burkhart moved to New York, hoping to build on his early success. But his rich and strange romantic-symbolist brew was out of step with cooler contemporary sensibilities, and he remains a lesser-known gem; this exhibition marks his first solo appearance in the city in 22 years. Contextualizing his recent output with a couple of large early canvases, Burkhart presents an array of paintings, sculptures and hybrids of the two that usher the viewer into an eerie world of shadowy half shapes and queasy biomorphisms.
In the paintings Dream of Prague (1975), Vwaga (1980), and Catalonics VI (2011–16), objects and part objects loom out of a lush darkness, hinting at Lovecraftian horror, but never quite cohere into anything readily describable. The heavily varnished surfaces of the works look sticky to the touch, with the paint applied underneath in slabs of meaty impasto or as tormented swirls. Meanwhile, the likes of Sculpture Painting No. 155 and No. 158 (both 2011–16) suggest an angry boil and a patch of mold, respectively. A litany of maverick talents from Hans Bellmer to Albert Pinkham-Ryder comes to mind when appraising Burkhart’s work, but there is no doubt that his vision remains unique.