The article reviews Doron Langberg's exhibition "Landscapes" at Jeffrey Deitch in New York, featuring large-scale oil-on-linen paintings that reflect on the artist's identity as a Jewish Israeli painter after October 7, 2023, and the subsequent conflict in Gaza. The works depict three personally significant locations: Yokneam in Israel, Drohobych in Ukraine (where the artist's father survived the Holocaust), and a queer beach community on Fire Island. Langberg's accompanying statement asserts that Palestinians deserve justice and liberation, framing painting as a means to confront atrocity.
The review critically argues that Langberg's paintings fail to bear the weight of their ambitious narrative, comparing them unfavorably to works by Anselm Kiefer, Gerhard Richter, and Joan Mitchell. The critic contends that the canvases, stripped of their contextual story, offer little innovation in painting technique or fresh commentary on current events. This matters because it highlights the tension between an artist's stated political intent and the actual aesthetic achievement of the work, raising broader questions about painting's capacity to address contemporary atrocity.