Julie Beckers reviews Marc Chagall: A Retrospective (1908-1985) at the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, on view through June 28, 2015. Beckers writes that the curatorial idea "works around the question: 'Can we create an exhibition that presents a journey through the artist’s life?' And the main themes presented here do just that.
Gordon Moore interviews painter Joan Waltemath whose exhibition One does not negate the other is on view at Hionas Gallery, New York, through March 14, 2015. Waltemath comments: "... verticality can set up a one to one relationship to your body when you are standing in front of it. I’ve done horizontal works, and also
An excerpt from Robert Storr's preface for the new book Go Figure! New Perspectives on Guston, edited by Peter Benson Miller, published by the New York Review Books and the American Academy in Rome. Storr writes: "Guston died of a heart attack at the same age as Rothko, sixty-seven, yet was still at the height
James Kalm visits Yevgeniya Baras: Of Things Soothsaid and Spoken at Steven Harvey Fine Art Projects, New York, on view through March 29, 2015. Kalm notes: "Yevgeniya Baras combines the rugged, physicality of found objects with an almost shamanistic reverence for their evocative potential. By melding the factual with a sophisticated sense of abstraction and
Xico Greenwald reviews Lois Dodd: Recent Panel Paintings at Alexandre Gallery, New York, on view through April 4, 2015. Greenwald writes that Dodd's paintings are "seemingly simple constructions that express a nuanced, poetic sensibility... “Porch Roof Snow Pile,” 2014, hung by the gallery entrance, sets the tone for the show. A view from a window,
Through the lens of several west coast exhibitions, David DiMichele notes the continued relevance of abstract painting and argues that Jackson Pollock's Mural (1943), recently on view at the Getty Museum, should "serve as a benchmark with which to evaluate current work." DiMichele notes: "Surprisingly, one of 2014’s most impressive historical abstract painting exhibitions was
Eleanor Ray reviews John Zurier: West of the Future at Peter Blum Gallery, New York, on view through April 4 2015. Ray writes that "Zurier’s work has been moving toward a sturdier sense of individuality, complicating his frequent categorization as a monochromatic painter. The works in his current show—the Berkeley-based artist’s fourth at Peter Blum—assert
John Haber reviews Michael Goldberg: Making His Mark at Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, New York, on view through March 14, 2015. Haber writes: "Interpretations of Abstract Expressionism long divided between the poles of Clement Greenberg and Harold Rosenberg, of grid and gesture. Goldberg makes clear how much they share—and how much they remain relevant for art
Nick Nes Knowlton reviews Formal | Loose | Painting, curated by Jennifer Murray, at Ralph Arnold Gallery, Loyola University, Chicago, on view through April 11, 2015. The show features paintings by Michelle Bolinger, Samantha Bittman and Anna Kunz. Knowlton writes that the works on view "are a refreshing contrast to lifeless painting that threatens visual
Ian McKeever writes about Richard Diebenkorn on the occasion of an exhibition of works by Diebenkorn at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, on view March 14 - June 2, 2015. McKeever writes: "If the early abstract works by Diebenkorn are composed of flowing interlocking forms, then the ‘Ocean Park’ series is distinctly angular and
Thomas Micchelli reviews Edith Schloss: Still Life, Myths and Mountains, A Retrospective, at Sundaram Tagore Gallery, New York, curated by Jason Andrew and organized in collaboration with Norte Maar, on view through March 28, 2015. Micchelli observes: "Schloss’s paintings, which, in their seven-decade span, are as much a part of the 21st century as they
Martin Mugar posts his essay for the exhibtion Lighting Out for Territory at Kimball Jenkins Galleries, Concord, NH, on view through April 30, 2015. The show features paintings by Susan Carr, Martin Mugar, Paul Pollaro, Addison Parks, and Jason Travers. Mugar writes that the show title comes from "the line spoken by Huck Finn at
Sharon Butler blogs a selection of paintings on view at VOLTA New York art fair, on view March 5-8, 2015. Butler comments: "This year plenty of good paintings are on view, though some of the figurative work seems out of synch with the most compelling contemporary work in that vein. Although well painted, many of
Kate Liebman reviews a recent exhibition of paintings by Heidi Howard at Nancy Margolis Gallery, New York. Liebman writes that Howard's "pictures are deeply embedded in the tradition of Western portraiture, and her biggest influence is apparent throughout the show: the Nabis. She paints her friends, herself, and her family, seeking to capture physical likeness
Larry Groff interviews painter Lois Dodd whose exhibition Recent Panel Paintings is on view at Alexandre Gallery, New York, through April 4, 2015. Asked about selecting subjects, Dodd comments: "It’s more about what I see when I’m walking around looking for something. Then after that it a matter of what size I want to work
Adrian Searle reviews Leon Golub: Bite Your Tongue at the Serpentine Gallery, London, on view through May 17, 2015. Searle writes that Golub's "early paintings are curdled, overworked and overwrought, and he managed to develop this into a dreadful meatiness. He had a great sense of pictorial drama, his figures erupting against a theatrical emptiness
Patrick Neal reviews 8 Painters at Danese Corey Gallery, New York, on view through March 14, 2015. The show features works by Nina Chanel Abney, Matt Bollinger, Caitlin Cherry, Joey Frank, Doron Langberg, Liz Markus, Kimo Nelson, and Jennifer Packer. Neal notes that "it is interesting that 8 Painters, comprised of all figurative painting, and
David M. Roth reviews Tucker Nichols: New Paintings at Gallery 16, San Francisco, on view through March 6, 2015. Roth notes that "these standalone works reveal the quieter, more contemplative side of the artist’s personality. They’re plaintive works on panel and paper that depict plants, cups, teapots and other still life subjects... These works —
Catherine Kehoe posts an essay by painter Tim Kennedy, written for his exhibition Paynetown, on view at First Street Gallery, New York, from March 3 - March 28, 2015. Kennedy writes: "Working directly from the motif without an intervening filter such as photography, at least for now, is important to me. I think of my
Julian Bell reviews Rubens and his Legacy: Van Dyck to Cézanne, Royal Academy, London, on view through April 10, 2015. Bell writes: "The apple hadn’t yet fallen on Newton when Rubens died in 1640. Bodies might have weight, but gravity made a local rather than a comprehensive claim on them. Minerva’s heel thrusts down on