Pareidolia

MASSIMODECARLO, Paris presents Pareidolia, an exhibition of new paintings by London-based artist Daniel Crews-Chubb. The exhibition title refers to the phenomenon of perceiving familiar patterns, such as faces, in random or ambiguous stimuli. Crews-Chubb's paintings explore this concept, with forms like jaws and eye sockets emerging from layers of ink, oil, and charcoal. The works are described as existing between figuration and abstraction, with recognition often preceding intention.

Crews-Chubb employs techniques such as hand-application of paint, embedding sand, and collaging fragments of other works. Charcoal lines are often added late in the process, creating a layered surface. The exhibition features three works: Immortal XXXVIII and Immortal XXXIX, large-scale paintings inspired by cultural memory of ancient figures, and Mask XXIV, a smaller work that questions the minimal elements needed for facial recognition. The artist's interest in Cubism is noted in the collapsing of multiple viewpoints.