Gamble paints the way a half-remembered dream reports itself: faces assemble out of the ground, hold for a second, then come apart when you look directly at them. The canvases are modest in scale but they carry a strange internal light that photographs badly and works in person, which is the best reason to make the trip. With the Tribeca gallery district in its August lull, a solo this specific is the one worth building a walk around.
What to expect
A ground-floor Walker Street gallery hung with paintings on canvas and panel at intimate scale. The works reward standing close — the imagery only resolves at short range. Expect a quiet room with few other visitors on a weekday afternoon.
Good to know
- Take the 6, N, Q, R or W to Canal Street, or the A, C or E to Canal Street
- Free to walk in during gallery hours
- Walker Street has a dense cluster of galleries — plan a loop rather than a single stop
- Summer hours downtown are reduced; confirm the gallery is open before you go
- Ground-floor and step-free
- Stand close — the imagery is built to resolve at short range, not across the room
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Common questions
Who is Sarah Gamble?
A Philadelphia-based painter whose work moves between abstraction and figuration, with faces and forms emerging from layered, luminous grounds.
Is there an admission fee?
No — Derek Eller Gallery is a commercial gallery and entry is free.
How long does a visit take?
Twenty to thirty minutes for this show, or a couple of hours if you walk the surrounding Tribeca galleries.
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