Jenny Saville: Oxyrhynchus

Oxyrhynchus is a city in upper Egypt that was established in 332 BC and is considered one of the most important archaeological sites ever discovered. Saville references the layer upon layer of discoveries at Oxyrhynchus in her new body of work, the final effect being a mysterious narrative of layered bodies and images. The dozen new works presented are a combination of oil, charcoal, and pastel on canvas and a combination of landscape and figures weaving throughout each other.

About the Author:

John Elderfield, a consultant at Gagosian Gallery, is Chief Curator Emeritus of Painting and Sculpture at The Museum of Modern Art, where he directed numerous celebrated exhibitions, among them Kurt Schwitters, Henri Matisse: A Retrospective, and De Kooning: A Retrospective. In 2005, Time magazine named him one of the 100 Most Influential People of the Year; and in 2006 he was made Officier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government.