Chelsea's Silver Lining

Undervalued: Medrie MacPhee
A standout oil on canvas at 64 by 84 inches from Janet Phelps’s edgily curated show at Claire Oliver Gallery, “Empire of This,” MacPhee’s surreal apocalyptic landscape delivers visual and, dare I say, intellectual wallop. The clever title anticipates the twisted remains of our gas-guzzling civilization, as it is seemingly pushed back to primitive times. A kneeling figure surveys the startling wreckage of what could have served as a Technicolor set for a Blade Runner sequel. MacPhee’s acid hues and crisply executed geometric shapes disturb the senses yet manage to radiate their own kind of disastrous beauty. The $21,000 price tag delivers a lot of post-industrial bang for the buck. Medrie MacPhee, "Last Gas Station on Earth" (2007)

Courtesy Claire Oliver Gallery