Lover’s Eye

Alex Anderson • Dotty Attie • Luke Edward Hall • Tony Feher • Terri Friedman • Sergio Miguel • Cara Nahaul • Fay Ray • Karen Seapker • Betty Tompkins

July 7 – August 19, 2023

Los Angeles

Lover’s Eye

Sargent’s Daughters is pleased to present Lover’s Eye, featuring works by ten artists all in the format of miniatures.

Lover’s eyes were tokens of affection exchanged between intimates in Georgian England, which, as their name suggests, featured a close-up portrait of the eye of the giver.  Radically cropped and often ornately bejeweled, they were a discreet way of keeping the gaze of one’s beloved close at hand. Today, lover’s eyes remain mysterious; due to their private nature and limited imagery, they are often a challenge for art historians to identify.

These historical portraits serve as a point of departure for the exhibition.  Although the works on view vary widely in material, style, and content, they all address themselves to some object of affection, be it human, idea, or affective experience.  These small-scaled artworks condense memories and emotions into talismans, touchstones, amulets, or keepsakes. As minute objects intended for intimate viewing, they have the capacity to transform the relationship between artist and viewer into something akin to lover and beloved.