Chris Moon

East London-born and based contemporary artist Chris Moon has been collected by the likes of Michael Fassbender, Paul McCartney, and Gemma Arterton, yet it wasn’t until this past weekend that he made his U.S. debut. In a pre-war, Chelsea studio space on 11th Avenue, Moon presented his most recent body of work, “Carousel,” as a small pop-up exhibition. Each of the six paintings on view reflected Moon’s experiences during the past three months in which he lived and created work in New York. Recurring subject matter included the carousel at Chelsea Piers rendered through Moon’s tantalizing and figurative brushstrokes, which are often compared to those of 20th century expressionist, surrealist, and at times cubist painter Francis Bacon. Even though the pop-up exhibition is over, two of the works will be on view at Norwood Club in New York beginning this Friday, March 13. In many of his paintings, Moon employs the technique of underpainting, meaning that when an idea strikes, he runs with it, painting over the original idea and image. For the artist, the excitement lies within the space between perfection and destruction, a place where his vision has become clear, yet is simultaneously in flux. It’s the reinvention of an established narrative through his own lens. Moon is currently the subject of a documentary being made by British director and producer Jack Bond, who has previously spearheaded projects that chronicle George Orwell, Salvador Dalí, Werner Herzog, Roald Dahl, Albert Camus, Charlotte Rampling, and Vanessa Redgrave. Bond continued filming when Moon met up with friend, fan, and legendary photographer Mick Rock in New York. Between creating the portraits seen above and being filmed, Rock spoke with Moon about everything from the color of his underwear to the use—or lack thereof—of marijuana. —Emily McDermott