“Lacquer Panique” Paintings by Denise Prince

Oil of Olay? No: Oil on canvas, painted by second-time solo Ivester Contemporary exhibitionist Denise Prince as part of her new show kicking off this Saturday, March 1. These works dig into our current relationship to beauty as seen through product advertisements – you know, the big glossy images scattered throughout fashion mags you read in a salon waiting room – and test those visual limits. How beautiful can a flower remain through the process of abstraction? Are the colors, the softness, the mere hint of shiny jewels enough to satisfy the human desire for aesthetics? You’ve got until the show closes on April 5 to make your call. – James Scott