The Opening Reception of Alison Van Pelt’s 40 Years Painting Portraits at Gallery Chang was a resounding success, as a large crowd gathered to celebrate, with champagne flowing throughout the evening. On display are a total of 28 pieces, which range in size and content but are primarily large portraits. Those featured in the works include artists like Louise Bourgeois, Gwen Stefani and Samuel Beckett–and many also include statements such as, “I’d Be God’s Gift,” or “I’d Have My Way With Words.”
Van Pelt does indeed have a way with words, her California raised calm and charm were much appreciated by gallery visitors who had the opportunity to ask her questions about her pieces directly. She was happy to discuss her process, background and other details at length over GoGoJang dubai chocolate cookies. Gallery goers gained more insight about how her paintings can take up to two three days with minimal breaks and no sleep, particularly the larger 5’ x 4’ works. People were surprised to learn that every detail of her artworks are hand-painted, many believing that she had utilized photographs for the portraits due to their expert detailing.
Those in attendance included Alison’s close family and friends, many of whom traveled from California to see the show. Also present were New York gallery scenesters, Gallery Chang regulars, and walk-ins from the neighborhood. It was a Thursday evening from 6-8pm, so many walk-ins were on their way to dinner or a show (or both) with traffic peaking at 7pm. Throughout the night the flow of people was steady, and people took care to view each of the works.
The images draw the viewer in, they evoke a sense of dissolve. Of her process, Van Pelt has been quoted by culture writer Robert A Sobieszek as stating, “Every painting begins as a fact…The act of blurring deconstructs the fact and reveals an ideology–my own perception, my own uncertainty.”
The event took place at our Midtown Manhattan location, and marked the first solo exhibition in New York for Van Pelt. It was not the artist’s first time showing with us. Her work has also appeared at both our Seoul and Englewood locations, in last year’s exhibition The Unified Field.
New works are included in this latest update to her publicly available oeuvre, including the 2026 pieces “Dylan,” “Bruce Springsteen,” and “Spotted Jack Rabbit w/ Crow Nation Turquoise.” The latter piece is of a native american warrior Chief who was photographed in 1898 by F.A. Rinehart. His image is the most repeated in the portraiture series of this exhibition, spanning back to 2005, with Van Pelt returning to tracing his face for over twenty years.
The exhibition does not solely include portraits. There are also flowers, a hummingbird, a lion and a skull, smaller works that may be more accessible to beginner collectors or someone looking for the perfect accent to a small space. These pieces, like the rest in the show, feature Van Pelt’s signature blurring style.