Ellie Rines Gallery is pleased to present From Behind, a solo exhibition of ten new soft sculptures by Al Freeman. Freeman’s sixth solo presentation with the gallery, this exhibition deepens the artist’s investigation into the verso: the hidden backside of a painting. The exhibition will be on view from October 30th through November 25th 2026, with an opening reception on Friday, October 30 from 6 to 8 pm.
In From Behind, Freeman’s soft sculptures focus on the physical, administrative and conceptual infrastructure that sustains the ecosystem of the art world: stretchers, bills of sale, barcodes and provenance tags. Inspired by Claes Oldenburg’s humorous soft sculptures and Lichtenstein’s back-as-front paintings, Freeman adds her own inflated homespun touch to the tradition. She replicates the backs of paintings as vinyl plushies, each verso given the same attention and respect conventio