PAINT-BY-NUMBERS

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Produced by Lauren Cohen in the lead up to the 2020 U.S. presidential election and revisited in 2024, Paint by Numbers presents a series of 10.5 x 13.5 inch prints that remain pointedly relevant. Drawing on the familiar language of instructional image making, the works invite viewers to actively complete the image, implicating participation, choice, and compliance in the act of painting itself.

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The format references both political messaging and domestic leisure, positioning the viewer as a collaborator within a prescribed system. Intended to be painted with gouache, acrylic, or other water based media, the works blur the line between authorship and execution, raising questions about agency, repetition, and the illusion of control during moments of heightened political consequence. Each print is housed in an 11 1/4 x 14 1/8 clear plastic sleeve, reinforcing the tension between accessibility, circulation, and containment.