Wendell Gladstone’s figurative compositions examine the indescribable, psychic impact of human relationships. The artist uses allegorical tropes as a means to examine subjects pertaining to art history, contemporary politics and personal experience, allowing his subconscious to guide the narratives. Born in Boston and based in Los Angeles, Gladstone employs a variety of styles and methods to conjure extraordinary scenes free from the governing principles of reality. Often cast with a bright, acidic palette, his work has been the subject of solo exhibitions at Shulamit Nazarian, Los Angeles, CA; Kravets/Wehby, New York, NY; Roberts & Tilton, Los Angeles, CA; and the Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego, CA.

In Fingerless Glove, a woman exudes a surrealistic, gravitational pull on her surroundings as objects appear to bend to her will. Depicted against an effervescent backdrop, the primary subject holds up a finger, which blossoms from a banana, to create a hypnotic spiral in a teetering, halved citrus fruit. Meanwhile, the surrounding window pane becomes elastic and conforms to the contours of her face; a stained glass flower creeps upwards from the painting’s lower right corner, forming a bloom-like monocle over the celestial glow of her eye. As in many of Gladstone’s works, transparent layers of paint—many of which reveal textured, bas-relief surfaces—are used as a means to connote psychologically charged subjects. For this edition, the artist will hand-embellish each edition using clear acrylic raised drops on each individual pulp in the grapefruit, making each work unique. 

Regarding this philanthropic initiative of planting ten trees for every print sold, the artist notes, “Trees offer the original carbon capture technology; the more trees—the less carbon and the more oxygen. I consider getting back to a sustainable equilibrium with our environment to be our biggest challenge."

Wendell Gladstone
Fingerless Glove, 2024
Archival pigment print
24 x 24 inches

Limited edition of 20 with 4 AP 1 PP
Hand-embellished, signed and numbered by the artist

ART FOR CHANGE will plant ten trees for each print sold in support of global reforestation efforts. As in all series, artists will receive 50% of the net proceeds of print sales.

*International customers are responsible for applicable duties and taxes including VAT fees.
*Unframed prints ship within 1-3 weeks.
*Framed prints ship within 3-6 weeks.