Talia Levitt: Schmatta
These odes to New York City and her family history in the garment world pay homage to her Jewish heritage and to women’s work. The details of hands,hearts, and the female figure, all signal the labor and care that go into creating clothing. Her tribute is especially poignant in 23-29 Washington Place, Greenwich Village (2023). The title calls attention to the address of the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire that killed 146 people. The majority killed were young Jewish immigrant women garment workers, trapped by the factory. The surreal ensemble of five red hands, blue acrylic-made buttons, and a wistful girl on a fire escape offers a solemn remembrance of these lives. Levitt also hints at New York with fire hydrants, cute cats, metal gates, candy wrappers, drainage caps, and empty and packed platforms and subway cars. For the city that never sleeps, her paintings sparkle in the night with either glitter paint or glow-in-the-dark paint. There is a great delight to discover these hidden aspects in her work and the neglected tales or unnoticed refuse of the city.
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Talia Levitt, Drawing on the R, 2023, acrylic on canvas, 30 x 40 in (76.2 x 101.6 cm)
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Talia Levitt, Painting Day/Night, 2023, acrylic on canvas, 40 x 30 in (101.6 x 76.2 cm)
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Talia Levitt, Hang-Ups, 2023, acrylic on canvas, 48 x 72 in (121.9 x 182.9 cm)
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Talia Levitt, NYC Memento Mori (sm), 2023, acrylic on canvas, 24 x 30 in (61 x 76.2 cm)
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Talia Levitt, 59 Warren Street, Tribeca, 2023, acrylic on canvas, 72 x 48 in (182.9 x 121.9 cm)
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Talia Levitt, Commuters, 2023, acrylic on canvas, 60 x 48 in (152.4 x 121.9 cm)
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Talia Levitt, Drawing on the Train - Day/Night, 2023, acrylic on canvas, 48 x 72 in (121.9 x 182.9 cm)
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Talia Levitt, Painter Collecting in April, 2023, acrylic on canvas, 72 x 48 in (182.9 x 121.9 cm)
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Talia Levitt
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