Alexander Tovborg: Eternal Feminine (I), 2014, felt, pastel crayon, acrylic and imitated gold leaf on wood panel, 48 by 36 inches. Courtesy Nicelle Beauchene Gallery, New York.
The psychedelic and the spiritual intermix in this young Danish artist’s pastel-colored paintings. Hung to striking effect on only one of the gallery’s walls, the ten works on view are of uniform size and incorporate felt and imitation gold leaf. All are close variations of the same composition: a double rainbow, the bands dotted with eyes, surrounded by various cosmological and biomorphic forms. Tovborg is apparently active in religious communities in his home country, and this exhibition, “Eternal Feminine,” feels steeped in mystical experience: the visual equivalent of an esoteric chant.