Apfel is a portraitist -- not of people, but of things. Remnants of the past: old stamps, pages of diaries, newspapers, pieces from well-thumbed books--are her subjects. By invoking the materials of the past, Apfel speaks to our present yearning for simplicity and authenticity. At the heart of her mixed-media paintings is the sense of grace found in the “ordinariness” of our daily lives. Apfel’s works quietly suggest the symbiotic relationship between our past and our present. Although the human figure is absent from her work, these paintings are deeply rooted in the human condition.
