NEW YORK—Gagosian Gallery has been exhibiting a series of large-scale abstract canvases created by Julian Schnabel about 25 years ago. “View of Dawn in the Tropics: Paintings, 1989–1990” features painting being shown in New York for the first time. There are red works, purple and brown ones too, each defined by a lively interplay of hues, perhaps “chance happenings” as the gallery suggests, or by accident as Schnabel reveals is the case sometimes in an April 2014 video about his work (below).
“My notion of painting has to do with freedom. I see opportunities everywhere as painting in images that already exist in surfaces that will respond to paint in a certain way or it might come from an accident,” Schnable states.
“Draw A Family”
His work is also currently on view in “Julian Schnabel: An Artist Has A Past (Puffy Clouds and Strong Cocktails)” at Dallas Contemporary from April 11 to Aug. 10, 2014.
At Gagosian on West 24th Street, “View of Dawn in the Tropics,” is on view through May 31, 2014. Today is the last day.
All photos by Arts Observer
Installation view of two untitled 1990 works.
Detail of “Untitled,” 1990 (resin, gesso on burlap).
“A Little Later,” 1990 (oil, gesso on white tarp).
Installation view.
Installation view of “Untitled (Los Patos del Buen Retiro),” from left, III, II, IV, all 1990-1991 (oil, gesso on velvet).
Installation view with “Ozymandias,” at left.
“Ozymandias,” 1990 (oil, resin, gesso and leather on sailcloth).