Beverly Fishman: The Pursuit of Perfection

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Beverly Fishman<br><em>Sexual Freedom, Calm, Solace, Joy</em>, 2024<br>Urethane paint on wood<br>48 x 119 inches / 121.9 x 302.3 cm

Beverly Fishman<br><em>Comfort, Immunity, Pleasure, Focus, Energy</em>, 2024<br>Urethane paint on wood<br>44 x 88 inches / 111.8 x 223.5 cm

Beverly Fishman<br><em>Pleasure, Liberation, Clarity, Choice, Ease, Self-Determination</em>, 2024<br>Urethane paint on wood<br>44 x 78 inches / 111.8 x 198.1 cm

Beverly Fishman<br><em>Awareness, Contentment, Calm, Choice</em>, 2024<br>Urethane paint on wood<br>44 x 40 5/8 inches / 111.8 x 103.1 cm

Beverly Fishman<br><em>Focus, Awareness, Relief</em>, 2024<br>Urethane paint on wood<br>43 x 44 inches / 109.2 x 111.8 cm

Beverly Fishman<br><em>Strength, Serenity, Self-Determination, Tranquility</em>, 2024<br>Urethane paint on wood<br>44 x 44 1/4 inches / 111.8 x 112.4 cm

Beverly Fishman<br><em>Dividose: Full Spectrum</em>, 2012<br>Enamel on polished stainless steel (two panels)<br>60 1/2 x 84 inches / 153.7 x 213.4 cm

Beverly Fishman<br><em>Lavender Kandyland</em>, 2010<br>Acrylic and enamel on polished stainless steel (two panels)<br>56 3/4 x 84 inches / 144.1 x 213.4 cm

Beverly Fishman<br><em>Silver Kandyland</em>, 2010<br>Acrylic and enamel on polished stainless steel<br>84 x 30 inches / 213.4 x 76.2 cm

Beverly Fishman<br><em>Dividose: Red</em>, 2006<br>Silkscreened vinyl and collage on powder-coated metal<br>38 1/2 x 28 1/2 inches / 97.8 x 72.4 cm

Beverly Fishman<br><em>Dark Kandyland</em>, 2009-2010<br>Acrylic and enamel on polished stainless steel<br>84 x 30 inches / 213.4 x 76.2 cm

Beverly Fishman<br><em>Dividose: White</em>, 2010<br>Enamel on polished stainless steel<br>26 x 18 inches / 66 x 45.7 cm

Beverly Fishman<br><em>Dividose: Black, White, Gold</em>, 2012<br>Enamel on polished stainless steel<br>26 x 18 inches / 66 x 45.7 cm

Beverly Fishman<br><em>Lime Green Kandyland</em>, 2008<br>Acrylic and enamel on polished stainless steel<br>26 x 18 inches / 66 x 45.7 cm

Beverly Fishman<br><em>Pink Kandyland</em>, 2009<br>Acrylic and enamel on polished stainless steel<br>26 x 18 inches / 66 x 45.7 cm

Beverly Fishman<br><em>Turquoise Kandyland</em>, 2009<br>Acrylic and enamel on polished stainless steel<br>26 x 18 inches / 66 x 45.7 cm

Beverly Fishman<br><em>Equality</em>, 2020<br>Urethane paint on high-density foam<br>43 3/4 x 46 x 8 in / 111.1 x 116.8 x 20.3 cm

Beverly Fishman<br><em>Breathe</em>, 2020<br>Metallic urethane paint on wood<br>36 x 46 x 6 inches / 91.4 x 116.8 x 15.2 cm

Beverly Fishman<br><em>Serenity</em>, 2019<br>Urethane paint on wood<br>33 1/2 x 32 1/4 x 5 inches / 85.1 x 81.9 x 12.7 cm

Beverly Fishman<br><em>Quietude</em>, 2020<br>Urethane paint on wood<br>15 x 46 1/2 x 8 inches / 38.1 x 118.1 x 20.3 cm

Beverly Fishman<br><em>Composure</em>, 2020<br>Urethane paint on wood<br>15 x 12 1/2 x 4 inches / 38.1 x 31.8 x 10.2 cm

Beverly Fishman<br><em>Attention</em>, 2020<br>Urethane paint on high-density foam<br>36 x 47 1/2 x 8 inches / 91.4 x 120.7 x 20.3 cm

Beverly Fishman<br><em>Repose</em>, 2019<br>Urethane paint on wood<br>26 1/2 x 27 x 4 inches / 67.3 x 68.6 x 10.2 cm

Beverly Fishman<br><em>Equilibrium</em>, 2019<br>Urethane paint on wood<br>10 x 18 x 3 inches / 25.4 x 45.7 x 7.6 cm

Beverly Fishman<br><em>Well Being</em>, 2019<br>Urethane paint on wood<br>14 x 14 x 4 inches / 35.6 x 35.6 x 10.2 cm

Beverly Fishman<br><em>Contentment</em>, 2019<br>Urethane paint on wood<br>10 x 20 1/2 x 4 inches / 25.4 x 52.1 x 10.2 cm

Beverly Fishman<br><em>Green Obama Altered State</em>, 2010<br>Hand-poured resin and phosphorescent pigment<br>12 x 9 x 1 inches / 30.5 x 22.9 x 2.5 cm

Beverly Fishman<br><em>Yellow Dollar Sign Altered State</em>, 2010<br>Hand-poured resin and phosphorescent pigment<br>10 x 10 x 2 inches / 25.4 x 25.4 x 5.1 cm

Beverly Fishman<br><em>Red Ninja Turtle Altered State</em>, 2010<br>Hand-poured resin and phosphorescent pigment<br>10 x 10 x 2 inches / 25.4 x 25.4 x 5.1 cm

Beverly Fishman<br><em>Blue 9 Altered State</em>, 2010<br>Hand-poured resin and phosphorescent pigment<br>10 x 10 x 1 inches / 25.4 x 25.4 x 2.5 cm

Beverly Fishman<br><em>Red, Yellow, Blue Altered State</em>, 2010<br>Hand-poured resin and phosphorescent pigment<br>5 x 10 x 2 inches / 12.7 x 25.4 x 5.1 cm

Beverly Fishman<br><em>Pink and Green Altered State</em>, 2007-2010<br>Hand-poured resin and phosphorescent pigment<br>10 x 9 x 2 inches / 25.4 x 22.9 x 5.1 cm

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Beverly Fishman: The Pursuit of Perfection

September 12-November 2, 2024

A comment on the reality and fantasy of progress, Fishman’s exhibition advances the history of abstraction and Pop Art while examining recent developments in science, technology, and human consciousness. Through sophisticated geometric compositions, vibrant colors, smooth textures, and lustrous refracted light, Fishman’s work explores the way that biotechnology has changed the experience of being alive. The artist positions art not as an opiate of the people but as a pharmaceutical improvement or engineer of altered states, upgraded realities, and optimized selves.

INSTALLATION VIEW

GALLERY / GRID

SELECTED WORKS

Beverly Fishman
Sexual Freedom, Calm, Solace, Joy, 2024
Urethane paint on wood
48 x 119 inches / 121.9 x 302.3 cm

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Beverly Fishman
Comfort, Immunity, Pleasure, Focus, Energy, 2024
Urethane paint on wood
44 x 88 inches / 111.8 x 223.5 cm

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Beverly Fishman
Pleasure, Liberation, Clarity, Choice, Ease, Self-Determination, 2024
Urethane paint on wood
44 x 78 inches / 111.8 x 198.1 cm

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“The Pursuit of Perfection” includes six new bas-relief wall paintings from Fishman’s ongoing “Polypharmacy” series, a term the artist uses to refer to pills that inspire the works’ underlying structures and shapes. In Pleasure, Liberation, Clarity, Choice, Ease, Self- Determination (2024), for example, the six concepts in the title are not only philosophical ideals but the physical promises of six pills. The particular source medications of this painting address chronic pain, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and birth control. The enamel-on-wood works are visual antidotes whose intense hues overflow onto the white walls upon which they hang, creating a ricochet of positive side effects. By these means, Fishman transforms disease into ease; she converts disorders into auspicious orders.

Beverly Fishman
Awareness, Contentment, Calm, Choice, 2024
Urethane paint on wood
44 x 40 5/8 inches / 111.8 x 103.1 cm

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Beverly Fishman
Focus, Awareness, Relief, 2024
Urethane paint on wood
43 x 44 inches / 109.2 x 111.8 cm

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Beverly Fishman
Strength, Serenity, Self-Determination, Tranquility, 2024
Urethane paint on wood
44 x 44 1/4 inches / 111.8 x 112.4 cm

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Beverly Fishman
Awareness, Contentment, Calm, Choice, 2024
Urethane paint on wood
44 x 40 5/8 inches / 111.8 x 103.1 cm

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Beverly Fishman
Focus, Awareness, Relief, 2024
Urethane paint on wood
43 x 44 inches / 109.2 x 111.8 cm

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Beverly Fishman
Strength, Serenity, Self-Determination, Tranquility, 2024
Urethane paint on wood
44 x 44 1/4 inches / 111.8 x 112.4 cm

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Beverly Fishman
Dividose: Full Spectrum, 2012
Enamel on polished stainless steel (two panels)
60 1/2 x 84 inches / 153.7 x 213.4 cm

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Beverly Fishman
Lavender Kandyland, 2010
Acrylic and enamel on polished stainless steel (two panels)
56 3/4 x 84 inches / 144.1 x 213.4 cm

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Beverly Fishman
Silver Kandyland, 2010
Acrylic and enamel on polished stainless steel
84 x 30 inches / 213.4 x 76.2 cm

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Beverly Fishman
Dividose: Red, 2006
Silkscreened vinyl and collage on powder-coated metal
38 1/2 x 28 1/2 inches / 97.8 x 72.4 cm

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Beverly Fishman
Dark Kandyland, 2009-2010
Acrylic and enamel on polished stainless steel
84 x 30 inches / 213.4 x 76.2 cm

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Beverly Fishman
Silver Kandyland, 2010
Acrylic and enamel on polished stainless steel
84 x 30 inches / 213.4 x 76.2 cm

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Beverly Fishman
Dividose: Red, 2006
Silkscreened vinyl and collage on powder-coated metal
38 1/2 x 28 1/2 inches / 97.8 x 72.4 cm

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Beverly Fishman
Dark Kandyland, 2009-2010
Acrylic and enamel on polished stainless steel
84 x 30 inches / 213.4 x 76.2 cm

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The show is rounded out by Fishman’s earlier “Kandyland” series (2009–10). Created in acrylics and enamels on polished stainless steel, these psychedelic paintings owe their optical style to illicit drugs rather than prescriptions. Dark Kandyland, for instance, is divided into two parts. The upper half suggests a sea of static gray matter, punctuated by raver graphics and other emblems. Meanwhile, the colorful weave depicted on the bottom half of the painting could be a literalization of body “tissue,” a word derived from the French verb to weave (tisser). It is disrupted by the waves of electrocardiograms and recorded sounds, which signal the physiology of heartbeats and dance rhythms. Like a hazy horizon line between the upper mind-sky and lower body-earth is a row of QR codes that speak to the embodiment of commerce. Capitalism is not outside and over there; it is integral to the health and wealth of our self-awareness.

Beverly Fishman
Dividose: White, 2010
Enamel on polished stainless steel
26 x 18 inches / 66 x 45.7 cm

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Beverly Fishman
Dividose: Black, White, Gold, 2012
Enamel on polished stainless steel
26 x 18 inches / 66 x 45.7 cm

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Beverly Fishman
Lime Green Kandyland, 2008
Acrylic and enamel on polished stainless steel
26 x 18 inches / 66 x 45.7 cm

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Beverly Fishman
Pink Kandyland, 2009
Acrylic and enamel on polished stainless steel
26 x 18 inches / 66 x 45.7 cm

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Beverly Fishman
Turquoise Kandyland, 2009
Acrylic and enamel on polished stainless steel
26 x 18 inches / 66 x 45.7 cm

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Beverly Fishman
Lime Green Kandyland, 2008
Acrylic and enamel on polished stainless steel
26 x 18 inches / 66 x 45.7 cm

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Beverly Fishman
Pink Kandyland, 2009
Acrylic and enamel on polished stainless steel
26 x 18 inches / 66 x 45.7 cm

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Beverly Fishman
Turquoise Kandyland, 2009
Acrylic and enamel on polished stainless steel
26 x 18 inches / 66 x 45.7 cm

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Beverly Fishman
Equality, 2020
Urethane paint on high-density foam
43 3/4 x 46 x 8 in / 111.1 x 116.8 x 20.3 cm

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Beverly Fishman
Breathe, 2020
Metallic urethane paint on wood
36 x 46 x 6 inches / 91.4 x 116.8 x 15.2 cm

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Beverly Fishman
Serenity, 2019
Urethane paint on wood
33 1/2 x 32 1/4 x 5 inches / 85.1 x 81.9 x 12.7 cm

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Beverly Fishman
Equality, 2020
Urethane paint on high-density foam
43 3/4 x 46 x 8 in / 111.1 x 116.8 x 20.3 cm

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Beverly Fishman
Breathe, 2020
Metallic urethane paint on wood
36 x 46 x 6 inches / 91.4 x 116.8 x 15.2 cm

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Beverly Fishman
Serenity, 2019
Urethane paint on wood
33 1/2 x 32 1/4 x 5 inches / 85.1 x 81.9 x 12.7 cm

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Beverly Fishman
Quietude, 2020
Urethane paint on wood
15 x 46 1/2 x 8 inches / 38.1 x 118.1 x 20.3 cm

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The show also presents a range of free-standing sculptures based on single pill forms. The work, Composure (2024), is a perfectly balanced, glossy pale blue form, based on the shape of a pill prescribed for anxiety. It is everything that anxiety is not -- quiet, cool, confident, and comfortable. A minimal tour de force in the tradition of Barbara Hepworth and Ellsworth Kelly, the sculpture offers a focal point for calming the body and mind.

Beverly Fishman
Composure, 2020
Urethane paint on wood
15 x 12 1/2 x 4 inches / 38.1 x 31.8 x 10.2 cm

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Beverly Fishman
Attention, 2020
Urethane paint on high-density foam
36 x 47 1/2 x 8 inches / 91.4 x 120.7 x 20.3 cm

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Beverly Fishman
Repose, 2019
Urethane paint on wood
26 1/2 x 27 x 4 inches / 67.3 x 68.6 x 10.2 cm

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Beverly Fishman
Composure, 2020
Urethane paint on wood
15 x 12 1/2 x 4 inches / 38.1 x 31.8 x 10.2 cm

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Beverly Fishman
Attention, 2020
Urethane paint on high-density foam
36 x 47 1/2 x 8 inches / 91.4 x 120.7 x 20.3 cm

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Beverly Fishman
Repose, 2019
Urethane paint on wood
26 1/2 x 27 x 4 inches / 67.3 x 68.6 x 10.2 cm

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Beverly Fishman
Equilibrium, 2019
Urethane paint on wood
10 x 18 x 3 inches / 25.4 x 45.7 x 7.6 cm

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Beverly Fishman
Well Being, 2019
Urethane paint on wood
14 x 14 x 4 inches / 35.6 x 35.6 x 10.2 cm

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Beverly Fishman
Contentment, 2019
Urethane paint on wood
10 x 20 1/2 x 4 inches / 25.4 x 52.1 x 10.2 cm

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Beverly Fishman
Equilibrium, 2019
Urethane paint on wood
10 x 18 x 3 inches / 25.4 x 45.7 x 7.6 cm

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Beverly Fishman
Well Being, 2019
Urethane paint on wood
14 x 14 x 4 inches / 35.6 x 35.6 x 10.2 cm

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Beverly Fishman
Contentment, 2019
Urethane paint on wood
10 x 20 1/2 x 4 inches / 25.4 x 52.1 x 10.2 cm

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Fishman’s unique creative voice is in conversation with a broad range of artists, dead and alive: hard-edge abstractionists like Frank Stella; Op artists such as Bridget Riley; Light and Space figures like James Turrell, John McCracken, and 1960s Judy Chicago; and Pop artists such as Roy Lichtenstein and Damien Hirst. Through her various distinctive bodies of work, Fishman not only addresses the biotechnical and socio-cultural concerns of contemporary life, but the timeless themes of life, death, and beauty.

Beverly Fishman
Green Obama Altered State, 2010
Hand-poured resin and phosphorescent pigment
12 x 9 x 1 inches / 30.5 x 22.9 x 2.5 cm

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Beverly Fishman
Yellow Dollar Sign Altered State, 2010
Hand-poured resin and phosphorescent pigment
10 x 10 x 2 inches / 25.4 x 25.4 x 5.1 cm

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Beverly Fishman
Red Ninja Turtle Altered State, 2010
Hand-poured resin and phosphorescent pigment
10 x 10 x 2 inches / 25.4 x 25.4 x 5.1 cm

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Beverly Fishman
Green Obama Altered State, 2010
Hand-poured resin and phosphorescent pigment
12 x 9 x 1 inches / 30.5 x 22.9 x 2.5 cm

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Beverly Fishman
Yellow Dollar Sign Altered State, 2010
Hand-poured resin and phosphorescent pigment
10 x 10 x 2 inches / 25.4 x 25.4 x 5.1 cm

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Beverly Fishman
Red Ninja Turtle Altered State, 2010
Hand-poured resin and phosphorescent pigment
10 x 10 x 2 inches / 25.4 x 25.4 x 5.1 cm

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Beverly Fishman
Blue 9 Altered State, 2010
Hand-poured resin and phosphorescent pigment
10 x 10 x 1 inches / 25.4 x 25.4 x 2.5 cm

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Beverly Fishman
Red, Yellow, Blue Altered State, 2010
Hand-poured resin and phosphorescent pigment
5 x 10 x 2 inches / 12.7 x 25.4 x 5.1 cm

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Beverly Fishman
Pink and Green Altered State, 2007-2010
Hand-poured resin and phosphorescent pigment
10 x 9 x 2 inches / 25.4 x 22.9 x 5.1 cm

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Beverly Fishman
Blue 9 Altered State, 2010
Hand-poured resin and phosphorescent pigment
10 x 10 x 1 inches / 25.4 x 25.4 x 2.5 cm

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Beverly Fishman
Red, Yellow, Blue Altered State, 2010
Hand-poured resin and phosphorescent pigment
5 x 10 x 2 inches / 12.7 x 25.4 x 5.1 cm

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Beverly Fishman
Pink and Green Altered State, 2007-2010
Hand-poured resin and phosphorescent pigment
10 x 9 x 2 inches / 25.4 x 22.9 x 5.1 cm

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ARTIST BIO

Beverly Fishman (b. 1955, Philadelphia, PA) was an artist-in-residence at Cranbrook Academy of Art between 1992 and 2019, where she was Head of the Painting Department. She is a Guggenheim fellow, a National Academy of Design Academician, and an Anonymous Was a Woman awardee. She has enjoyed over forty solo exhibitions, including at Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA; Detroit Institute of Arts, MI; Toledo Museum of Art, OH; Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, CO; and Cranbrook Museum of Art, MI among others. Her work is in many collections, including MSU Broad Museum, East Lansing, MI; Michigan State University, Ann Arbor; The Mint Museum, Charlotte, NC; Cranbrook Art Museum; and Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Overland Park, KS. She received an MFA from Yale University. Fishman lives and works in Detroit, MI.