Susan Rothenberg
Sperone Westwater is pleased to present new paintings by Susan Rothenberg for the artist鈥檚 eleventh solo show at the gallery since 1987 and her first show of new work in five years. This follows the gallery鈥檚 recent presentation of important vintage works by Rothenberg at Frieze Masters and showcases the artist鈥檚 continuing and vital contribution to contemporary painting.
In these new canvases, familiar subjects such as dogs and ravens inhabit ambiguous spaces defined by the artist鈥檚 well-known brushwork and a pronounced shift in vivid coloration. These subjects are both archetypal and, in some cases, specifically drawn from the artist鈥檚 surroundings鈥攖he artist鈥檚 beloved dog Bubbles makes an appearance. Rothenberg鈥檚 expressive mark, typically bridging figuration and abstraction, shifts across these works to evoke such disparate qualities as the silhouette of a dark bird at night, the flutter of gathered wings, and a luminous aquatic glow. Color plays a dominant and variable role in these new canvases, drawing from brilliant hues that can be found only in a marriage of Rothenberg鈥檚 fiction and everyday environment.
Red Bird (2014) depicts the fiery figure of a large bird, consuming the canvas in a contradiction of color鈥攖he creature is bold and powerful, though peacefully slumbers. Frenetic brush strokes create the illusion of a gentle motion, for although the scene appears silent and calm, Michael Auping has observed that 鈥淩othenberg is seldom attracted to things that are still.鈥� In Pink Raven (2012), a familiar choice of subject matter returns in an unusual color. Rothenberg paints a pale bird that clings to a branch, occupying the composition while the surrounding branches fade into the foggy depths. The mystique surrounding this extraordinary color and atmosphere is no stranger to Rothenberg: as Auping describes it, 鈥淧ainting from memory is often more fiction than fact. The painter must reconcile two realities: an event as it is remembered, and the event that is the painting.鈥�
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Sperone Westwater is pleased to present new paintings by Susan Rothenberg for the artist鈥檚 eleventh solo show at the gallery since 1987 and her first show of new work in five years. This follows the gallery鈥檚 recent presentation of important vintage works by Rothenberg at Frieze Masters and showcases the artist鈥檚 continuing and vital contribution to contemporary painting.
In these new canvases, familiar subjects such as dogs and ravens inhabit ambiguous spaces defined by the artist鈥檚 well-known brushwork and a pronounced shift in vivid coloration. These subjects are both archetypal and, in some cases, specifically drawn from the artist鈥檚 surroundings鈥攖he artist鈥檚 beloved dog Bubbles makes an appearance. Rothenberg鈥檚 expressive mark, typically bridging figuration and abstraction, shifts across these works to evoke such disparate qualities as the silhouette of a dark bird at night, the flutter of gathered wings, and a luminous aquatic glow. Color plays a dominant and variable role in these new canvases, drawing from brilliant hues that can be found only in a marriage of Rothenberg鈥檚 fiction and everyday environment.
Red Bird (2014) depicts the fiery figure of a large bird, consuming the canvas in a contradiction of color鈥攖he creature is bold and powerful, though peacefully slumbers. Frenetic brush strokes create the illusion of a gentle motion, for although the scene appears silent and calm, Michael Auping has observed that 鈥淩othenberg is seldom attracted to things that are still.鈥� In Pink Raven (2012), a familiar choice of subject matter returns in an unusual color. Rothenberg paints a pale bird that clings to a branch, occupying the composition while the surrounding branches fade into the foggy depths. The mystique surrounding this extraordinary color and atmosphere is no stranger to Rothenberg: as Auping describes it, 鈥淧ainting from memory is often more fiction than fact. The painter must reconcile two realities: an event as it is remembered, and the event that is the painting.鈥�
Artists on show
