Locks Gallery

In 1984, in a commission for the Volvo Headquarters in Sweden, Jennifer Bartlett introduced three-dimensional elements into her work for the first time, a development that would shape much of her output throughout the decade. In her process, the painting always came first, with sculptural counterparts emerging as direct replications of her pictorial language. In ‘Sea Wall’ (1985), she draws upon recurring motifs—including the house and the boat—that appear within the painted composition while simultaneously projecting beyond the picture plane and into three-dimensional space.
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Cinematic and sprawling, this work draws upon Bartlett’s fascination with the ocean and its duplicitous mysteries—endlessness and immediacy, transparency and darkness, arrival and departure. Though she lived and worked in New York City for most of her life, Bartlett was born and grew up in Long Beach, CA at the same time construction of the Long Beach Breakwater went underway. In this expansive installation, Bartlett invites viewers to walk between sculptures rendered in varying media before a close encounter with the 369-inch oil painting in the background. It is then that we realize the precarity of our position, as the gallery space becomes a walloping ocean with the viewer standing in its depths. Throughout her career, she remained fascinated by skewed realities, presenting scenes interlaced with contradictions and layered moods. In ‘Sea Wall,’ we see Bartlett at full force, pushing her conceptual, painterly, and sculptural mind beyond the edges.

‘Sea Wall’ returns to the second-floor gallery on the occasion of ‘Jennifer Bartlett: American Classic,’ on view through May 30.

Oil on canvases; structural elements: 5 boats, 5 houses, 4 step stones, 4 sea wall elements, 1 seahorse chair
Canvases: 84 x 369 inches; structures: varying dimensions

From 1985–86, Jennifer Bartlett produced two series, ‘At Sands Point’ and ‘Old House Lane,’ inspired by a summer spent on Long Island, the locale understood to be the real-life counterpart to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s East Egg in ‘The Great Gatsby.’

Like Fitzgerald, Bartlett’s narrative blurs the line between the real and constructed. In the world of Gatsby, identity is shaped as much by myth as it is by reality. Bartlett similarly resists a fixed account of the truth in her own 1985 novel ‘History of the Universe’, where she embeds elements of her life into a fictional story, using a fragmented narrative voice that mimics her multi-perspective works from this same period.

Against the opulence of Gatsby and grandeur of Sands Point estates, however, Bartlett imposes her own pared-down symbols—a white clapboard, house, a dinghy, and a picket fence—presenting each through different mediums and perspectives. Extracting these icons from the paintings and rendering them as sculptures, she expands the paintings’ borders into physical space. In these quintessential symbols of Americana, Bartlett presents an alluring and familiar, yet eerily askew, narrative—her own ‘American Classic.’

‘Jennifer Bartlett: American Classic’ is on view until May 30 at Locks Gallery.
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Images (Courtesy of Joseph Hu): 

[1] ‘Double House,’ 1987, oil on canvases, enamel on wood, steel, canvas: 118 x 168 inches, sculpture: 68.5 x 83 x 50 inches.
[2] ‘Old House Lane #2,’ 1986, pastel on 3 sheets of paper, 44 x 90 inches.
[3] ‘Boats,’ 1987, oil on canvas, enamel on wood, steel, canvas: 118 x 168 inches, sculpture: 66 ½ x 42 ½ x 46 inches each.

Locks Gallery is pleased to present ‘American Classic,’ an exhibition of historical works by Jennifer Bartlett (1941-2022) created between 1985-1987. Central to the exhibition are two monumental paintings with sculptural objects, alongside two rarely shown series titled ‘At Sands Point’ and ‘Old House Lane,’ all featuring houses, boats, and white-picket fences, quintessential symbols of Americana. Highlighting Bartlett’s iterative and multi-part approach to painting, ‘American Classic’ traces the artist’s turn to cinematic figurative art and the literary influences that underscored her creative process. 

‘American Classic’ will be on view from April 3 - May 23, 2026.

Image: Jennifer Bartlett, ‘Boats,’ 1987
Oil on canvas, enamel on wood, steel
Canvas: 118 x 168 inches
Sculpture: 66 1/2 x 47 1/2 x 46 inches, each

Locks Gallery is pleased to present ‘American Classic,’ an exhibition of historical works by Jennifer Bartlett (1941-2022) created between 1985-1987. Central to the exhibition are two monumental paintings with sculptural objects, alongside two rarely shown series titled ‘At Sands Point’ and ‘Old House Lane,’ all featuring houses, boats, and white-picket fences, quintessential symbols of Americana. Highlighting Bartlett’s iterative and multi-part approach to painting, ‘American Classic’ traces the artist’s turn to cinematic figurative art and the literary influences that underscored her creative process. 

‘American Classic’ will be on view from April 3 - May 30, 2026.

Image: Jennifer Bartlett, ‘Boats,’ 1987
Oil on canvas, enamel on wood, steel
Canvas: 118 x 168 inches
Sculpture: 66 1/2 x 47 1/2 x 46 inches, each

Here to Forever: In Memory of Pat Steir (1938 - 2026)

She was fierce. Her paintings are phenomena unto themselves. For over twenty years we have been honored to forge a relationship with such an extraordinary artist. We are forever touched and will continue to be moved by her powerful gift to the world.

“here to forever” - words from her artist book ‘Memory’ (2014), published by Edizioni Canopo Prato. Steir, ever a poet, wrote “Although / We change / In Time . . . an eternal / moment . . . (What did the snake know)”

One Final Look!

Nancy Graves: ‘Archaea’ closes THIS FRIDAY, March 27. Stop by the gallery to experience these complex forms and layered compositions up close.

Photo by

‘Wax Works VI,’ 1987
Bronze with baked enamel
12 1/4 x 13 1/4 x 14 1/4 inches

Locks Gallery celebrates Women’s History Month and the incredible women who have uplifted the gallery program!

Woman-run since its founding in 1968, Locks has remained unwavering in its commitment to championing women artists, highlighting their work, and honoring the continued influence they have had on the art world.

Today we celebrate Jennifer Bartlett (1941-2022) who was born on this day 85 years ago.

One of the most groundbreaking artists of the 20th century, she continuously revolutionized the art world at each turn, experimenting with new techniques and mediums throughout her decades long career. Her systematic approach to art produced an extensive and varied oeuvre, from encompassing installations such as ‘Rhapsody’ (1975-76) and ‘Recitative’ (2009-2010) to ruminative serial explorations like ‘In the Garden’ (1979-83).

Locks Gallery has proudly championed Jennifer Bartlett for over 25 years.

Can you recognize the everyday objects that form Nancy Graves’ ‘Whiffle Tree’?

In these 1980s sculptures, Nancy Graves embraced spontaneity and experimentation. Instead of sketching or creating maquettes to visualize her ideas, she worked intuitively, assembling sculptures from a stockpile of up to 1,500 bronze-cast elements, then finishing them with bold, vibrant patinas.

From natural objects like plants and vegetables to man-made ones like ropes and homewares, Graves pulled together familiar forms and transformed them into something entirely new.

Swipe to reveal the various elements!
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Photo by Joseph Hu ()

‘Whiffle Tree (Pendula Series),’ 1985
Polyurethane paint on cast bronze and stainless steel
97 x 60 x 65 inches

Nancy Graves: ‘Archaea’ is in full swing!

Juxtaposing the artist’s black-ground oil paintings and cast-bronze sculptures, ‘Archaea’ emphasizes Graves’ body of work from the 1980s. The exhibition title refers to the Greek word for “ancient,” “olden,” or “from the beginning,” as well as the Archaea domain of organisms found in all life forms. Through this dual meaning, the exhibition unearths Graves’ varied influences, from biological microbiota to Nefertiti busts, and reflects the composite nature of these works.

Stop by the gallery to explore this dynamic presentation running until March 28!

Photos by Joseph Hu ( )

Stop in to see a new body of work by British artist . These lush paintings are part of Bright’s one-artist exhibition ‘Seeing in the Dark’ on view through March 18th.