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ELIZABETH SCHOETTLE’S DEBUT EXHIBIT SHOWS COLLAGES AT MEREDITH WARD

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NEW YORK CITY — Elizabeth Schoettle: Polaroid/Collages” is on view at Meredith Ward Fine Art through July 27. The show will include a selection of 40 recent works by New York City-based Elizabeth Schoettle. This will be the artist’s first exhibition.

The collages, which are made using Polaroid photographs combined with found objects, reveal Schoettle’s distinctive narrative language, which is at once playful, enigmatic, haunting and mysterious. Schoettle’s dream-like images suggest an inner longing; they hint at opportunities missed and possibilities that may or may not be realized.

Schoettle has invented a character, a reflection of her own persona, who moves through scenes created with Polaroid snapshots and other materials. She is often inspired by cartoon imagery and old movies; stills from Popeye, Peanuts and Looney Toons are shot with a Polaroid and form the basis for the work. Perhaps because of her experience in film production, Schoettle conceives each work as part of larger story. She often refers to capturing a moment — as if someone has just pushed to the “pause” button — and at any time her character may start moving.

Using collage, Schoettle transforms and sometimes obliterates the original Polaroid snapshot. The finished works suggest cartoon strips or film stills that create an enigmatic narrative frame-by-frame.

Meredith Ward Fine Art is at 60 East 66th Street. For information, 212-744-7306.