LIFE BEYOND FIRST CLASS
Artfully Springing Forward
New York’s Paul Kasmin Gallery is brightening Manhattan’s winter doldrums with three brilliant exhibits showcased through February 27th
By: Gina Samarotto | February 18, 2016
Jules Olitski, "OG Challenge- Two," 1986, acrylic and oil based enamel on plexiglas
(c) Estate of Jules Olitski/ Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY
Jules Olitski’s Plexiglas, 1986 is a brilliant exploration of acrylic and enamel works on Plexiglas. Culled from work that was completely entirely in the year 1986, Plexiglas, 1986 is the artist’s third solo show at the Paul Kasmin Gallery.
Emerging onto the art scene in the 1950s as one of the original Color Field painters, Olitski is known for his experimentation with new materials and techniques including the use of spray paint, painter’s mitts, brooms and squeegees to create works with compelling textures and contrast. In 1986, at the age of 65, he embraced the industrial over the natural with the use of Plexiglas. Heavily applying metallic creams and pastels, thin applications of black and smatterings of bright, saturated candy hues on differently shaped shards of Plexiglas; the work achieved critical acclaim.
John Waters (I), 1975. Vintage gelatin silver print. 20 x 16 in; 50.8 x 40.6 cm,
©The Peter Hujar Archive, LLC.
Lost Downtown is the Paul Kasmin Gallery’s first solo exhibition by acclaimed photographer Peter Hujar. Presented in collaboration with Pace/MacGill Gallery, Lost Downtown features over twenty photographs of the late photographer’s portraits that collectively offer a mesmerizing look into New York City’s 1970’s and 80’s downtown scene.Featuring a cast of characters that were Hujar’s neighbors on the Lower East Side , Portraits in the exhibition include David Wojnarowicz, Paul Thek, John Waters, Edwin Denby, Susan Sontag, Fran Lebowitz, and William Burroughs.
"Ring", 1977. Acrylic on canvas. 85 3/4 x 62 1/4 in; 217.8 x 158.1 cm.
© The Estate of Kenneth Noland/ VAGA, New York/ Dacs, London, 2016.
UNBALANCED is the gallery’s first solo-exhibition of works by Kenneth Noland and a collection focusing on the American Color Field painter’s iconic shaped canvases from the mid-to-late 1970s. A pioneer of the shaped canvas, Nolan utilized the forms as a means to generate a singular, unified experience within a color field. The artist considered the composition’s edge to be of equal importance to the center, and his iconic bands of color, known as “rays” would often populate only the outer reaches of the canvas. It is a technique readily seen in his work as exemplified by Ring, 1977.
For further information on these and other Paul Kasmin Gallery’s exhibits, please visit the gallery’s website at www.paulkasmingallery.com
