Selected by Mousse at London Gallery Weekend, June 2023.
The exhibition in London examines the significance of abstract painting today, from Garrels’s perspective. Juxtaposing a diverse range of approaches to contemporary abstraction, the exhibition brings together works by three generations of artists, including some never before shown by Gagosian.
“To Bend the Ear of the Outer World” is the conceptual successor of “Oranges and Sardines” (2008–09), an exhibition of abstract painting organized by Garrels at the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, which included work by some of the same artists. The titles of both exhibitions are derived from verses by Frank O’Hara.
The exhibition surveys contemporary abstract painting through an installation that emphasizes the individuality of each work and artist, while encouraging viewers to find affinities between them. It reflects ongoing conversations regarding the possibilities of abstraction with artists Garrels has long admired, along with others he discovered in the process of planning the exhibition. He relates: “As a curator, I have found that artists look at art with a focus and scrutiny, a criticality and engagement, that few of us can summon with the same intensity.”
That intensity of engagement informs the ways in which these artists continue to push the boundaries of abstraction. Avoiding systematic or theoretical restrictions, they are united by an expressive subjectivity, developing their practices in dialogue with their peers and in relation to over a century of innovation in nonrepresentational art making. The multiplicity and vitality of works on view speak to the continued relevance of abstract painting.
Participating artists:
Tomma Abts, Richard Aldrich, Tauba Auerbach, Frank Bowling, Mark Bradford, Cecily Brown, Vija Celmins, Matt Connors, Tomm El-Saieh, Jadé Fadojutimi, Suzan Frecon, Katharina Grosse, Mark Grotjahn, Wade Guyton, David Hammons, Mary Heilmann, Thilo Heinzmann, Richard Hoblock, Jacqueline Humphries, Suzanne Jackson, Jennie C. Jones, Brice Marden, Helen Marden, Julie Mehretu, Oscar Murillo, Albert Oehlen, Laura Owens, Nathlie Provosty, David Reed, Gerhard Richter, Amy Sillman, Pat Steir, Ryan Sullivan, Lesley Vance, Charline von Heyl, Mary Weatherford, Stanley Whitney, Pamela Helena Wilson, Terry Winters, Christopher Wool, and John Zurier.
Curated by
Gary Garrels
at Gagosian, London
until August 25, 2023