John Phillip Abbott's Choice Words

John Phillip Abbott, Cosmos, 2015, spray paint on canvas, 36 x 30 inches (courte
John Phillip Abbott, Cosmos, 2015, spray paint on canvas, 36 x 30 inches (courtesy of the artist)

Claude Smith profiles painter John Phillip Abbott, whose work is the subject of two exhibitions: Turquoise Sunset at Devening Projects + Editions, Chicago (on view from January 10 - February 13, 2016) and On Any Sunday at Pierogi Gallery, New York, (on view from January 8 – February 7, 2016).

Smith writes: "'Tennis,' 'Cosmos,' 'Pontiac,' 'Zen,' and 'Fortuna' are some of the words that find their way into Abbott’s compositions; diaristic words that create an association to past experience and memory. While they often have deeply personal meanings, their ambiguity leaves room for multiple interpretations."