PAUL BOOTH

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Paul Booth
Melencolia II
Opens May 9th, with a reception from 6 to 8 pm
Closes May 23rd, 2025
Duane Thomas Gallery
137 West Broadway, 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10013
New York, NY — April 24, 2025 — Duane Thomas Gallery is proud to announce Melencolia II, a solo presentation of new and recent works by New York-based artist Paul Booth. This will be Booth’s second solo exhibition with the gallery.
The exhibition is anchored by an 11-foot-tall, wall-based charcoal drawing inspired by Albrecht Dürer’s 1514 engraving Melencolia I. In this monumental mural, Booth reimagines the masterwork’s themes of the struggles and recompense of the creative process. Situated at the far end of the gallery, the drawing presides over a selection of Booth’s new and recent works on paper, placing them at the core of the artist’s motivations.
This selection of approximately 90 drawings is clustered into four thematic sections: the natural world, new life, figures alone, and figures together. Each intimately scaled work exists as a unique expression, functions within the realm of its section, and also contributes to the narrative arc of the entire presentation. Booth’s compositions often feature dysmorphic self-portraits and figures engaged in moments of tension, introspection, and even tenderness.
In these works—rendered in his distinctive, deeply personal, and sensitive style—Booth suggests that the difficulty of creation stems from the fragility of life itself and persists through the various facets of human experience, distorting even the purest or simplest moments. Yet he also offers a reason for hope: that the challenge of creating, if properly channeled, leads to renewed reasons for optimism and perseverance.
Exhibition Details:
Title: Paul Booth: Melencolia II
Opening Reception: May 9th, 6 to 8 pm
Exhibition Dates: May 9 – May 23, 2025
Location: Duane Thomas Gallery, 137 West Broadway, 3rd Floor, New York, NY
For press inquiries, high-resolution images, or to schedule an interview with the artist, please contact:
[email protected]