Raphael Rubinstein writes about the work of painter Christopher Deeton which was recently on view at Steven Sclaroff Gallery, New York. Rubinstein writes: "Eliciting beautiful tonal nuances from black paint alone, Deeton uses symmetry not to riff on the legacy of Morris Louis, but to devise a new iconography and a new technique—despite appearances, his
Photo blog of a recent exhibition of works by the late painter Norbert Prangenberg at Barbara Gross Gallery, Munich. The gallery notes that in Prangenberg's "later paintings the artist essentially departs from the repertoire of geometrical shapes of his early works and concentrates on 'painting colors.' The thick impasto application of the oil paint creates
Julia Schwartz conducts an in-depth interview with painter Leslie Wayne. Wayne comments: "My relationship to landscape is really rooted in memory, in the light, colors and geography of the West. So here, in the middle of midtown Manhattan, I approach the subject more as an opportunity to depict visual manifestations of physical forces: compression, subduction,
Piri Halasz reviews ten current and recent painting exhibitions in New York including: Jim Dine and Thomas Nozkowski at Pace, Going Into the Dark at The Painting Center, Walt Kuhn: American Modern at DC Moore, Marina Adams: Coming Through Strange at Hionas Gallery, Walter Robinson: Indulgences, Recent Paintings & Works on Paper at Dorian Gray
David M. Roth reviews the exhibition Amy Feldman: Raw Graces at Gregory Lind Gallery, San Francisco, on view through April 20, 2013. Roth writes that Feldman's works "are the product of joyful, intensely physical, whole-body gestures — not of the old-school variety now shunned by younger painters – but those of a certain unaligned faction
Abstract Critical
Courtney J. Martin writes about the paintings of Frank Bowling on the occasion of the exhibition Frank Bowling: Paintings 1967 – 2012 at Spanierman Modern, New York, through April 20, 2013. Martin writes that Bowling's "poured paintings were often a combination of action painting and compositional devices, like vertical lines, that were used by the
Andrew Berardini reviews the exhibition Laura Owens: 12 Paintings at 356 S. Mission Road, Los Angeles, on view through June 30, 2013. Bernardini writes that Owens is "exploring with humor and skill the possibilities of paintings. It doesn't wholly make sense just to isolate a single work — these feel entirely intended to be seen
Xico Greenwald visits two abstract painting exhibitions: Thornton Willis: Steps at Elizabeth Harris Gallery (through April 13) and Al Held: Alphabet Paintings at Cheim & Read (through April 20). Greenwald writes that despite "superficial similarities, the works on display reflect the strikingly different temperaments and intentions of two ambitious abstract artists... Willis’ work comes out
A new video documents painter Elizabeth Murray working in the studio. In the film, Murray talks about her working process: "What I'm looking for," she notes, "is resolution. I have it one day and I don't have it the next day. But that's what's so great about being an artist - that you can get
Michael Spens writes about the exhibition Schwitters In Britain at Tate Britain, London, on view through May 12, 2013. Spens notes that "the remarkable thing about Kurt Schwitters at the period of major setbacks was his stoicism, which seemed never to fail... Concepts of dislocation however became prevalent in his work... In the core of
John Yau blogs about the exhibition Philip Guston: A Centennial Exhibition at McKee Gallery, New York, on view through April 20, 2013. Yau writes that "the marvel of the exhibition [is that] — it is all done with line, drawn or in paint. Sometimes the line becomes a rounded shape (a cloud) or a circle
Cary Smith interviews painter John Phillip Abbott about his work. Abbott comments: "I’ll often begin painting with acrylic and brush, or spray paint. Referencing the grid, with stripes, dots, diamonds, etc. I know the 'sweet spot' will be arrived at when these layers, applied relatively quickly, will be overlapped with the perceived accurateness of the
In the first post in a new blog series "focusing on process oriented painters," Paul Behnke showcases the development of a painting by Deborah Brown, "an accomplished painter who's works explore the industrial landscape of car salvage lots, scrap metal yards and fabrication shops in Bushwick..." Brown comments on her process: "While I am working,
James Kalm visits an exhibition of paintings by Andrew Masullo at Mary Boone Gallery, New York, on view through April 27, 2013. Kalm films a walkthrough with close-ups of many of Masullo's signature small-scale abstractions. Kalm notes: "Developing a recognizable style which melds formalist nonobjective design with the hot punchy color of Neo-Pop graphics, Masullo
Marlene Steele reviews the exhibition Small is Big at Manifest Gallery, Cincinnati, Ohio, on view through April 5, 2013. The show features paintings by Catherine Kehoe, Tim Kennedy, Ken Kewley, Eve Mansdorf, and EM Saniga. Steele writes: "Any artist who undertakes the assignment of smaller works realizes immediately that every mark counts in an informational
Ridley Howard interviews painter Jim Lee on the occasion of the exhibition Jim Lee: Please Be Clean When You Do It at Nicelle Beauchene Gallery, New York, on view through March 31, 2013. Lee comments: "I need to work and not really know that I am making anything in particular. I guess that’s why I
Zachary Keeting and Christopher Joy visit the studio of painter Sarah Walker. Walker comments: "I'm trying to allow everything in the painting that's ever been there to still exist visually and compellingly, presently, all at the same time. So, the past in my paintings is always present in some way, and all their movements, and
David Reed interviews painter Stanley Whitney. Discussing color, Whitney comments: "I think artists have tried to explore color but not in a real worldly sense. When I say that I mean that if you go to India, there are worlds and worlds of color—10,000 shades of orange on the street. I really want the hand
James Kalm provides an up-close view of the exhibition Philip Guston: Centennial Exhibition at McKee Gallery, New York, on view through April 20th, 2013. As the gallery notes, the exhibition "is not a retrospective but a spontaneous celebration, attempting to expand our understanding of Guston with works which have not been widely exhibited, interspersed with
Andy Parkinson writes about two exhibitions at Annely Juda Fine Art, London: Line & Circle and new paintings by Edwina Leapman, on view through May 28, 2013. For Parkinson, both exhibitions engender silent contemplation. He describes how in a Max Bill painting (in the Line & Circle show), it is "impossible to determine which form