Christopher Wool at the Guggenheim

The Guggenheim rotunda, as seen from the 6th floor

The Guggenheim in New York is always a good quick stop to see an exhibition–I’m also glad that I finally have time free time to see art now that my semester is over. Currently the main exhibition is Christopher Wool, which is on view until January 22, 2014–but there is also a small Kandinsky exhibit (Kandinsky in Paris 1934-1944) and a Motherwell exhibit (Motherwell: Early Collages) that I really enjoyed.

Untitled, 2000

The above painting is emblematic and the main painterly style that is attributed to Wool. Wool, like many other painters, experimented with text, monochromes, flatness and figureless works to “bring painting to an end.” His works are often graphic. The New York Times cites something problematic with the show–it seems padded–with three series of grainy Wool photographs. The show did feel a little bit repetitive and I found myself rushing down the rotunda to the end. After I saw a few key graphic pieces, I was satisfied with the trip. My favorite pieces were the ones that combined forms of abstraction with graphics in the background such as the following Untitled from 2002.

Untitled, 2002

This piece is enamel and silkscreen ink on linen.