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Best shows of 2009

1. Picasso at the Gagosian

 

I was absolutely blown away by this show.  I have long favored Matisse to Picasso but this show gave me something to think about.  The colors were rich and the brushwork lively.  It is hard to believe that critics of  the day panned the work as trivial.

2. Cy Twombly

 Artist's books/catalogues have come a long way over the 20 years.  That being said to truly appreciate someone like Twombly you have to view them in person.  The scale and color just does not translate as well on paper.  I had an opportunity to view his work in Houston and was blown away.  The work here was not quite as good but as whole was very good.

3. Francis Bacon

A solid show at the Met but overwhelming. 

4. William Christenberry

I attended the Christenberry exhibition in Nashville.  I had seen much of the work before but had never heard him lecture.  The lecture was good but meeting him was the highlight of the evening.

5. Paint Made Flesh

Nice survey of figurative paintings. The highlights included paintings by Eric Fischl, Jenny Saville, Cecily Brown, Freud, Schnabel, Daniel Richter, and Richard Diebenkorn. The Richter really surprised me in the scale and brushwork. I had never seen a Richter in person and became somewhat enamored with the painting. I also enjoyed seeing the Diebenkorn painting. I had seen the painting in a couple of different catalogues before never really paid much attention to it. The brush handling and colors were classic Diebenkorn. It was reminiscent of a painting in the Phillips Collection. Click the link below to view a video of the show. There is also a catalogue available.
The Frist

Richard Polsky

I recently read and thoroughly enjoyed the newest book by Richard Polsky. It sadly confirmed what I had suspected about big name galleries in NYC.

Per Kirkeby

I have always been fascinated by the work of Per Kirkeby. His paintings are an odd sort. The colors, shapes, and lines are put together in a manner that should not work but for some reason do.

David Row

I remember reading an article on David Row in Art in America several years ago. His work is reminiscent of Brice Marden but somehow different. This may be due to the colors he uses. Follow the link for more insight into his work.