Denizens of a Crowded City Populate Erin Milez’s Dense Paintings

New York City is often depicted as hectic and crowded in Erin Milez's recent paintings, which are currently on view at Monya Rowe Gallery in Everything the Light Touches. The artist, who recently moved from New York to Seattle, examines the nature of human connection and the lack thereof in urban spaces. Milez's work draws on the visual language and subject matter of artists like George Tooker and Jacob Lawrence, as well as the blocky, social realist style of Works Progress Administration (WPA) murals.

Milez's paintings exhibit a dynamic and textured style, with characters rendered in golden hues and hints of symmetry. The compositions often feature individuals squeezed into confined spaces or obscured by foliage and infrastructure, creating a sense of closeness and intensity. Despite the crowded scenarios, no one speaks to one another, and everyone appears calm and self-concerned.

Milez notes that many of the figures in her work are cropped, suggesting sensory limitations and a lack of full attention to the world around them.

Examples of Milez's paintings include "A Giving Tree," where two people find themselves beneath blossoming branches, and "Subway," which depicts numerous passengers individually focused on their electronic devices. Throughout her work, Milez's figures are often cropped, particularly in their facial features, indicating a subconscious design choice to represent sensory limitations. Everything the Light Touches runs from September 10 to October 24 at Monya Rowe Gallery in New York.