Sam McKinniss's new exhibition "Law and Order" at Jeffrey Deitch in New York presents paintings of viral and iconic figures, including Jeremy Meeks, Luigi Mangione, Chuck Bass from *Gossip Girl*, and riderless horses. The show explores how social media blurs the boundaries between advertising, entertainment, and politics, aiming to capture the feeling of living in America through recognizable images from the internet and media landscape.
The exhibition matters because it reflects a contemporary twist on America's long-standing relationship with iconic images, from Hollywood to Madison Avenue. McKinniss's work replicates the dull sparks of recognition experienced while scrolling online, raising questions about visibility, social progress, and how images shape national identity in the age of social media. The show is reviewed as part of ARTnews's new column "Link Rot" by Shanti Escalante-De Mattei.