Andrew Grassie

Andrew Grassie’s Private: Office shows the interior space of an art gallery, which the public rarely sees. The artist’s meticulous application of tempera gives the painting the crisp, realistic qualities of a photograph. Although people are absent from Grassie’s composition, there are signs of human presence: chairs are pushed back from the table, reading glasses rest on desk papers, printed images are partially out of their storage boxes, a drawer is slightly ajar, and a telephone is angled toward the edge of the table. These incidents suggest the active process behind creating exhibitions, representing artists, and selling art.