Jack Mendenhall
There is no subtitle for this exhibition
19 February — 28 March, 2026
Louis K. Meisel Gallery is pleased to present a solo exhibition of works by Jack Mendenhall, a Photorealist artist best known for his portrayals of well-appointed interiors and leisure scenes in exotic locales.
Mendenhall first embraced Photorealism in the 1960s. Drawing on the Pop Art practice of using mass media as a source of inspiration, he turned to imagery found in interior design magazines for developing compositions. The gallery’s most recent acquisition, The Blue Room, is an excellent example of this earlier period; a large-scale oil painting indulges the viewer in the decadence of a sumptuously decorated parlor that oozes with plush and pattern.
The 1990s and 2000s marked a shift in the artist’s subject matter. During his trips to exotic destinations in the late 80s, Mendenhall took his own photographs of upscale resorts. These images gradually led to paintings of contemporary leisure culture. Lush tropical escapes, rendered in a seductive palette of saturated hues, have become the artist’s signature body of work.
Mendenhall was born and raised in California, in a climate that finely attuned his vision to registering the influence of bright sunlight and the interaction of colors. His brushwork in these later paintings strives to reproduce the visual sensation of the sun’s blinding glare. To achieve this, Mendenhall employs the use of deep contrasts, aligning washed-out areas of pure white pigment against intense hues, in a manner one rarely comes across in Photorealism. He is at his most brilliant in capturing the shifting glimmer produced by the sun on the glassy surface of the water. Mendenhall explains the method he uses to achieve this effect: “When I paint water, rocks, sky, trees, chairs, etc., I must imagine touching them, convincing myself, as it were, that I am creating these things in a very real sense. The magic occurs when I believe I have done this.”
Jack Mendenhall will be on display at 141 Prince Street, New York, NY, from February 19th through March 28th, Tuesday through Saturday, from 10am to 5 pm. For further information, please contact gallery@meisels.com
Featured Works
About Jack Mendenhall
Jack Mendenhall (b. 1937, Ventura, California) is a California-based painter, whose interest in printed advertising imagery led to his inclusion in the Photorealist movement. In his early years, Mendenhall created paintings of curated luxurious home interiors, which he used as a subtle societal critique. His later paintings evolved to include optimistic depictions of exotic resorts that feature pools, palm trees and relaxation. Mendenhall’s prolific career spans over 50 years. His work is in the collections of the University of California, Berkeley and the Oakland Museum. Mendenhall lives and works in Oakland, CA.