“Love Life” – Adrian Tomine, December 7, 2020 Cover of The New Yorker
“Before I even moved to New York, I knew of the 92nd Street Y and its reputation for hosting incredible events, conversations, and exhibitions. Since then, I’ve had the privilege of sitting both in the audience and onstage at the Y, but to have my work exhibited there is the greatest honor yet. All of these images were inspired by and created in New York City, and I can’t think of a better venue for exhibiting them all together for the first time.” — Adrian Tomine
The 92nd Street Y, New York proudly announces that the work of award-winning graphic artist and writer Adrian Tomine will be the focus of the newest exhibition in 92NY’s Weill Art Gallery through March 13, 2023, 1395 Lexington Avenue in New York City. Admission is free, and more information is here. All exhibited framed prints are available for purchase, with a portion of the proceeds going to benefit 92NY.
For over two decades, Tomine’s acclaimed art has been on the cover and in the pages of The New Yorker, with one of his most famous works pictured above, “Love Life,” from the cover of the December 7, 2020 issue, with its salient commentary about online dating during the first year of the pandemic. An accomplished writer as well as an artist, Tomine’s 2007 graphic novel, Shortcomings, has been made into a feature film selected for 2023’s Sundance Film Festival, with a screenplay written by Tomine and directed by Randall Park. Tomine has written eight books, many of them national bestsellers, and his most recent one, The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist, was selected as one of the best books of 2021 by both the New York Times and Publishers Weekly.
Artist Statement
I’ve had the privilege of working in a range of creative modes over the years–as an illustrator, writer, designer, editor–but I primarily think of myself as a cartoonist. Comics was the medium that first sparked my interest in art, and it’s the field I’ve spent the most time in. While the images in this exhibition would clearly fall into the category of “illustration,” I’d like to think that they have certain qualities that could only result from my years making comics. I suppose the main difference is that, with comics, I break up a story into a lot of small panels, and with these illustrations, I’m trying to tell a story in one big panel. Most of these images originally appeared on the cover of The New Yorker, and I’m deeply indebted to Françoise Mouly (the arts editor at the magazine) for her early belief in me and her steadfast guidance and support. The prints were produced by Nocerino Editions of Denver, CO, and the images were created in various apartments in Brooklyn, New York.
Bio
Adrian Tomine was born in 1974 in Sacramento, California. His graphic novels include Killing and Dying, The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist, Summer Blonde, and Shortcomings, which was a New York Times Notable Book. Since 1999, his comics and illustrations have appeared in the pages and on the cover of The New Yorker. A film adaptation of his stories entitled Paris, 13th District was released in 2021, and a feature adaptation of Shortcomings will be released in 2023. Tomine lives in Brooklyn with his wife and daughters.
92Y Gilda and Henry Block School of the Arts
The Art Center faculty, adult and special exhibitions are supported by Catherine Hannah Behrend.
The Milton J. Weill Art Gallery is open to patrons of Kaufmann Concert Hall during regularly scheduled events. In addition, special viewing hours can be arranged. To inquire about an appointment, please email or call the Art Center at 212.415.5562.
About The 92nd Street Y, New York: The 92nd Street Y, New York (92NY) is a world-class center for the arts and innovation, a convener of ideas, and an incubator for creativity. 92NY offers extensive classes, courses and events online including live concerts, talks and master classes; fitness classes for all ages; 250+ art classes, and parenting workshops for new moms and dads. The 92nd Street Y, New York is transforming the way people share ideas and translate them into action all over the world. All of 92NY’s programming is built on a foundation of Jewish values, including the capacity of civil dialogue to change minds; the potential of education and the arts to change lives; and a commitment to welcoming and serving people of all ages, races, religions, and ethnicities. For more information, visit www.92NY.org.
