COOLEY GALLERY CT : SMALL PAINTING SHOW
Gilbert Momo - Detail
COOLEY GALLERY
SMALL PAINTING SHOW FEATURING TWO PUG PAINTINGS
The Cooley Gallery’s Annual Small Painting Show celebrates intimate works of art, and this year, artist Jac Lahav contributes two pug-themed paintings from his pug series (2012–2019). These works emerged from a playful and experimental phase in Lahav’s career, inspired by his dog Momo’s unexpected social media stardom. Momo’s Instagram account amassed over 30,000 followers—a surreal milestone that quickly and absurdly surpassed Lahav’s own art account. To Lahav, pet Instagrams are a modern form of costuming and identity creation, akin to cosplay or v-tubing, yet through the lens of animism and digital iconography.
The two works featured in this show reveal Lahav’s ability to weave art history and contemporary culture. One painting, a realist portrait of Momo as a pug version of George Washington, draws from Gilbert Stuart’s iconic Atheneum portrait. Previously exhibited in Lahav’s "Great Americans" show at the Florence Griswold Museum, this piece layers historical iconography with modern commentary, elevating Momo’s digital persona into the realm of contemporary art.
The second painting channels the bold color palettes of Matisse and "The Red Studio." This piece stands in stark contrast to the monochromatic realism of the George Washington-inspired pug portrait. Together, the two paintings embody Lahav’s exploration of dualities in his practice—realism versus expressionism, historical reference versus digital culture, and technical precision versus emotive abstraction.
Lahav’s pug paintings are not just depictions of a beloved pet but also meditations on how art and social media intersect, creating new forms of storytelling and connection.
