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“Something For The Pain” Will Make You Look at Your Meds in a New Light

05.12.23 | By
“Something For The Pain” Will Make You Look at Your Meds in a New Light

Artist Beverly Fishman has had the same focus throughout her decades-long career – abstract investigations of disease, identity, and medicine. Over the past 20 years, she’s leaned further into the latter, particularly the promises of pharmaceutical cures. Her collection of sculptural paintings – Something For The Pain – is currently on exhibit at Miles McEnery Gallery in New York City. This is Fishman’s third solo exhibition with the gallery, which will be on view through June 3rd, exploring the concept of polypharmacy, or the prescription of multiple medicines to one individual.

white walled gallery space with three colorful, geometric sculptural paintings

In Something For The Pain, the artist uses urethane neons that glow and matte geometric forms of wood to illustrate an individual’s unique prescription cocktail. These elements are stacked into compositions that include some complete shapes and others partial to represent whole and partial doses. In the collection, Fishman has used parenthetical titles to indicate each ailment being treated.

white walled gallery space with two colorful, geometric sculptural paintings

Overall the sculptural paintings give off a happy vibe, only becoming a bit unsettling once the inspiration and titles are revealed. Seemingly floating, their edges are slightly beveled towards the wall where the neon undersides reflect an artificial glow. Fishman’s Something For The Pain will likely leave you with more questions about Big Pharma and the medications you’re taking for your own well-being.

white walled gallery space with three colorful, geometric sculptural paintings

The Detroit-based artist has been the subject of recent solo exhibitions at The Contemporary Dayton, Dayton, Ohio; Kavi Gupta Gallery, Chicago, Illinois; Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum, East Lansing, Michigan; Walter Storms Galerie, Munich, Germany; Gavlak Gallery, Los Angeles, California; Miles McEnery Gallery, New York, New York; Library Street Collective, Detroit, Michigan; Ronchini Gallery, London, United Kingdom; and the CUE Art Foundation, New York, New York, among others.

white walled gallery space with two colorful, geometric sculptural paintings

white walled gallery space with two colorful, geometric sculptural paintings

white walled gallery space with three colorful, geometric sculptural paintings

colorful, geometric sculptural painting

Untitled (Abortion, Abortion, Anxiety, Depression), 2023 \ Urethane paint on wood, 45 x 41 1/2 inches, 114.3 x 105.4 cm

colorful, geometric sculptural painting

Untitled (Abortion, Anxiety, Anxiety, Depression, Epilepsy), 2022 \ Urethane paint on wood, 42 1/2 x 73 inches,
108 x 185.4 cm

colorful, geometric sculptural painting

Untitled (Abortion, Depression, Abortion), 2022 \ Urethane paint on wood, 65 x 56 1/4 inches, 165.1 x 142.9 cm

colorful, geometric sculptural painting

Untitled (Alcoholism, Anxiety, Depression, Abortion), 2022 \ Urethane paint on wood, 48 x 118 inches, 121.9 x 299.7 cm

colorful, geometric sculptural painting

Untitled (Abortion, Depression, Depression), 2022 \ Urethane paint on wood, 45 x 42 inches, 114.3 x 106.7 cm

colorful, geometric sculptural painting

Untitled (Birth Control, Abortion, Birth Control, Birth Control, Pain), 2023 / Urethane paint on wood, 48 x 117 inches, 121.9 x 297.2 cm

colorful, geometric sculptural painting

Untitled (Abortion, Opioid Addiction, Panic Disorder, Birth Control), 2022 \ Urethane paint on wood, 44 x 44 1/2 inches, 111.8 x 113 cm

colorful, geometric sculptural painting

Untitled (Depression, Depression, ADHD, Diabetes), 2022 \ Urethane paint on wood, 43 x 41 1/4 inches, 109.2 x 105.1 cm

colorful, geometric sculptural painting

Untitled (GERD, Parkinson’s, Depression, Insomnia), 2023 \ Urethane paint on wood, 44 1/4 x 82 3/4 inches, 112.4 x 210.2 cm

colorful, geometric sculptural painting

Untitled (Insomnia, Anxiety, Osteoporosis, Anxiety, Muscle Spasm), 2023 \ Urethane paint on wood, 45 x 45 inches, 114.3 x 114.3 cm

colorful, geometric sculptural painting

Untitled (High Blood Pressure, Depression, Depression, Abortion, Anxiety), 2022 \ Urethane paint on wood, 48 x 120 inches, 121.9 x 304.8 cm

colorful, geometric sculptural painting

Untitled (Insomnia, Weight Loss, Insomnia, Opioid Addiction, Birth Control), 2022 \ Urethane paint on wood, 44 x 80 inches, 111.8 x 203.2 cm

colorful, geometric sculptural painting

Untitled (Migraine, ADHD, Pain, Pain), 2022 \ Urethane paint on wood, 44 x 43 5/8 inches, 111.8 x 110.8 cm

colorful, geometric sculptural painting

Untitled (Missing Doses, Abortion, Abortion, Anxiety, Depression), 2023 \ Urethane paint on wood

colorful, geometric sculptural painting

Untitled (Osteoporosis, Abortion, Depression, Anxiety, Birth Control), 2022 \ Urethane paint on wood, 44 x 40 inches, 111.8 x 101.6 cm

To learn more, or to see Something For The Pain in person before June 3, 2023, visit milesmcenery.com.

Kelly Beall is Director of Branded Content at Design Milk. The Pittsburgh-based writer and designer has had a deep love of art and design for as long as she can remember, from Fashion Plates to MoMA and far beyond. When not searching out the visual arts, she's likely sharing her favorite finds with others. Kelly can also be found tracking down new music, teaching herself to play the ukulele, or on the couch with her three pets – Bebe, Rainey, and Remy. Find her @designcrush on social.