Hoffmann + Maler + Wallenberg is delighted to announce Still Still-Lifes, an exhibition of seventeen new works by Los Angeles–based painter Dan McCleary.

McCleary’s still-life paintings offer a meticulous exploration of form and color. The exhibition presents thirteen intricate floral compositions alongside four smaller fruit studies, each crafted with a minimalist beauty that invites a deep, contemplative gaze. The work pays homage to traditional genre painting, yet McCleary brings a contemporary edge, subtly reinterpreting timeless themes with deadpan precision and a quiet yet resonant emotional power. Every brushstroke is purposeful, stripping the subject to its essence, whether it’s the soft suggestion of a lily or the simple curve of a pear.

McCleary’s flower arrangements, all set within simple glass vases, evoke a sense of order, yet reveal an emotional depth in their precise execution. These paintings invite viewers to imagine the scents of blooming flowers, the softness of petals, creating a multisensory experience that extends beyond the visual realm.

The artist notes: “I started this series in April 2024, and the paintings were completed on August 9. They were all done from direct observation. Early on Monday morning I would go to the flower market in downtown Los Angeles, about fifteen minutes from my studio. I would enter with a vague concept of what type of flowers I was looking for—namely flowers that were somehow in reaction to the painting I had just completed previously. I did about one painting a week. If I was finished by Friday, I would go to the market down the street from my studio and buy fruit, then spend Friday and Saturday on those small paintings. The fruit was more static than the flowers, so I was able to focus on colors and shapes. The flowers were more challenging because they moved slowly but constantly; by the end of the week, they often would have completely changed position. After making many flower paintings, I still find doing them challenging and absorbing.”