Born in 1965, Elizabeth Peyton paints and draws portraits of people who are in some way close to her – whereby her relationship to her subjects can assume a variety of forms. They might be personal friends, but could equally be historical figures or popstars. The crucial factor is the intensity of the encounter that first inspired the artist to preoccupy herself with these `companions'. Whether a close companion or a worshipped idol, in Peyton's paintings and drawings the distinctions between friends and stars ultimately become blurred.

Peyton bases her pictures on photos from books, pop magazines or her own snapshots.
The media-based encounter via photography, video clip, book or CD is assimilated into her own world through the painting process.

Elizabeth Peyton was first shown in the Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg in 1998 in a solo exhibition organized in cooperation with the Museum für Gegenwartskunst in Basel.

Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg
16 September 2000 – 21 January 2001