From her beginnings in the early 1980s until her death, Moira Dryer pursued a line of work in dialogue with modernist painting and abstraction while in consideration of more contemporary themes. Before devoting herself full-time to painting, Dryer worked for years as a set designer for the avant-garde theater company Mabou Mines, an experience that influenced her painting and the way she spoke about her work. This exhibition considers Dryer’s development as her work progresses from recognizable theater references such as curtains and spatial representations to abstract portraits that begin to move toward sculpture. Dryer infused her works with a level of pathos that allowed her to play with stillness and animation, reference and abstraction, and real and represented space.
Moira Dryer: Back in Business
“The Warhol Foundation aims to support the full range of artistic activity in America—from exhibitions at major museums to neighborhood projects by artist collectives. Arts writers, through the range and specialization of their individual interests, touch upon all of this activity—illuminating and interrogating it and bringing it into conversation with the public. Support for artists is not complete without support for the circulation and serious consideration of their ideas. The Arts Writers Grant program keeps artists at the center of cultural dialogue and debate—in our opinion, right where they belong.”
Joel Wachs, President