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5/4/2001

Monochrome / Monochrome ?

Florence Lynch Gallery, New York

Florence Lynch Gallery is pleased to present Monochrome/Monochrome?, Curated by Lilly Wei with artists Rudolf de Crignis, Craig Fisher, Christian Garnett, Nancy Haynes, James Howell, Yves Klein, Glenn Ligon, Carmengloria Morales, Maria Morganti, Ruth Pastine, George Peck, Michael Rouillard, Erik Saxon, Phil Sims, Rudolf Stingel, Frederic Thursz, Patrick Wilson, and Bob Yasuda.

In 1921, at the "5 x 5 = 25" exhibition in Moscow, Alexsandr Rodchenko displayed a red painting, a yellow painting and a blue painting and said, "I reduced painting to its logical conclusions." He also said "it's all over." It was not. Monochrome, through the subsequent course of the 20th century, established itself as one of the most exemplary of modernist images, identified with artists such as Kasimir Malevich, Yves Klein, Piero Manzoni, Lucio Fontana, Ad Reinhardt, Mark Rothko, Robert Ryman and Brice Marden. But the designation "monochrome "C also called "aniconic," "pure," "radical" or "fundamental" at various points in its history C has never had widespread acceptance among its practitioners. Very few consider themselves to be monochromatists. It is not a monolithic world; in fact, its reluctant members are more contentious than most and full of passionate dissent. In the end, it is as varied in form, content and intent as any other genre of painting although the distinctions may be more subtle. A classic monochrome, a neutral, allover, unmodulated single color rectangle or square hardly existsC as a work of art. The exhibition, Monochrome/Monochrome? is a commentary on the complex nature of "single color" painting. While some of the paintings presented here are single color, most are not; even those paintings which appear to be a single color have been constructed out of more than one color. In some instances, many colors have been layered to achieve a single surface color. This may be a category of painting that exists without true examples as this may be a monochrome show that exists without true monochrome paintings. These paintings also reflect the changing aesthetic and cultural conditions of the last 30 years, addressing issues of formality and process, physicality, spirituality, politics and racial identities, with fluctuating degrees of awe, pragmatism and irony. The artists selected for the exhibition represent a range of monochrome painting; many are not monochrome artists but at times make or have made "monochrome" paintings. The paintings date from the 1970's to the present. The closest to the ideal of monochrome are the works of Erik Saxon (although his is a diamond), Phil Sims(although his surface is inflected), Rudolf de Crignis, Frederic Thursz (although both use more than one color), James Howell (who investigates the infinite tonalities of grey) and Robert Yasuda (who investigates architectural context). Moving slightly away from the single color surface are the works of Nancy Haynes, Carmengloria Morales, George Peck, and Michael Rouillard, all of whom also deal with structural issues. Rudolf Stingel and Craig Fisher are more process-oriented and their surfaces more revealing while Christian Garnett and Patrick Wilson's paintings have distinctive images. Ruth Pastine presents a compounded, more overtly spatial resolution. Maria Morganti and Glenn Ligon intend a more figurative, narrativeC and in Ligon's caseC politicized reading. Nonetheless, what is most commonly held is an emphasis on the processes of perception, whether in a postmodernist or modernist manner.
Lilly Wei

Opening Reception: Friday, April 6, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Gallery hours: Wednesday through Saturday from 11:00 to 6:00 p.m.

147 West 29th Street, New York, 967-7584

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