Malcolm Liepke American, b. 1953

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Biography
American artist, Malcolm Liepke was born in 1953 and raised in Minneapolis. He is an experienced, mid-career painter who has exhibited all over the world; his work is represented in numerous private and public collections.
He is a painter of a particular world, a 'demi-monde', inhabited by mostly young and attractive subjects, who project an air of self-absorption and watchfulness. Isolated figures pose with an almost insolent self-regard, others appear more vulnerable, as if exhausted by the rigours of a dissolute life. Particularly of note are the group compositions, where his subjects interact, evoking tender and sensual feelings, modifying the potential solipsism of their characters. Genuine emotion is on display in a world of mutual grooming and self-presentation.
 
Liepke paints with an assured, expressive and fluent handling of his medium. His frank enjoyment of the texture of male and female flesh is fully embodied in the rich and luscious quality of the oil. Thick, clotted and sticky passages contrast with slick, fluid glazes. Cream-like paint is laid down in planes of acidic, pastel hues of greens, blues, pinks, purples and oranges, making dramatic contrast with descriptive areas of pale skin-tones. His responsive manipulation of the brush and medium subtly reacts to the contour and surface of the subject, articulating a world of sensation.
 
The compositions speak of an interior, artificially-lit, urban world: a locale of bars, nightclubs, studios and house-parties. There is an accompanying sense of erotic intoxication. This is a milieu familiar to us from the paintings of Degas, Lautrec, Manet, Hopper, Sargent and many others. Liepke, painting his contemporary cast of provocative characters, makes a connection with the past and presents us with an archetypal portrait. The inhabitants of this 'bohemian' world are as serious and worthy of study as anyone.
 
 
View available works on Artsy
Works
  • After the Bath
    After the Bath, 2023
    Oil on canvas
    50.8 x 50.8 cm
    20 x 20 in
  • Boy in Baseball Cap
    Boy in Baseball Cap, 2023
    Oil on canvas
    22.9 x 25.4 cm
    9 x 10 in
  • Girl in Chair
    Girl in Chair, 2023
    Oil on canvas
    25.4 x 30.5 cm
    10 x 12 in
  • Morning Coffee
    Morning Coffee, 2023
    Oil on canvas
    91.4 x 76.2 cm
    36 x 30 in
  • Nude Reclining
    Nude Reclining, 2023
    Oil on canvas
    66 x 61 cm
    26 x 24 in
  • Submerged
    Submerged, 2023
    Oil on canvas
    50.8 x 76.2 cm
    20 x 30 in
  • Together / Apart
    Together / Apart, 2023
    Oil on canvas
    50.5 x 70.5 cm
    19.9 x 27.75 in
  • Two Women
    Two Women, 2023
    Oil on canvas
    38.1 x 58.4 cm
    15 x 23 in
  • Couple
    Couple, 2022
    Oil on canvas
    76.2 x 50.8 cm
    30 x 20 in
  • Looking Back
    Looking Back, 2022
    Oil on canvas
    121.9 x 91.4 cm
    48 x 36 in
  • Pink Dress
    Pink Dress, 2022
    Oil on canvas
    40.6 x 30.5 cm
    16 x 12 in
  • Three Men in Grey
    Three Men in Grey, 2022
    Oil on canvas
    45.7 x 61 cm
    18 x 24 in
  • Three Sides of Me
    Three Sides of Me, 2022
    Oil on canvas
    106.7 x 152.4 cm
    42 x 60 in
  • Resting on Hand
    Resting on Hand, 2017
    Oil on canvas
    31 x 31 cm
    12 x 12 in
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