For her current exhibition 'Situational Diagram' at Dominique Lévy Gallery, Brazilian-born artist Karin Schneider has restricted herself to the production of black monochromes – a limitation that, in turn, allows for an expanded focus on the processual 'operations' applicable to the art object. Her monochromes are meticulously categorised and indexed as such: the Splits relate to Barnett Newman’s thin, vertical canvases; while Cancellations dialogue with Ad Reinhardt’s own black paintings, which eschewed representation in service of a purely phenomenological engagement with the materiality of paint.
However, that which is negated by abstraction is not exactly absent from Schneider’s works: her monochromes maintain residual connections to their respective signifieds. The spectre of the female form, for instance, is visible across Schneider’s series of Extractions, black neoprene cut-outs based on Matisse’s infamous Nu Bleu gouaches and Tarsila do Amaral’s 1928 painting Abaporu. These are placed – perhaps discarded – on the gallery floor. Elsewhere, in three paintings categorised as Namings, abbreviated references to Poland (POL), Syria (SYR) and Serbia (SRB) are faintly discernible in black-on-black text on canvas.
Schneider envisions these written signs as formalist elements, yet she acknowledges that the act of naming can serve to 'demarcate boundaries' and seems purposefully to draw focus to countries that have experienced political instability linked to the volatility of borders or competing ideological factions.In one of the most effective works in the exhibition, titled Situation, 16mm footage of the Adriatic Sea is itself 'monochromed', prompting reflection on the ways in which such expansive, borderless entities as seas are also subject to the politics of signification. A flickering, black field, bisected by swathes of sea and sky, the projection is itself framed by a wall drawing that extends across both second and third floor galleries.
It's a limitation that, in turn, allows for an expanded focus on the processual 'operations' applicable to the art object. Pictured: D (CW + BP) (Dependable), 2015
Schneider's monochromes maintain residual connections to their respective signifieds; the spectre of the female form, for instance, is visible across her series of Extractions. Pictured: E (HM/NB III-I) (Extraction), 2016
The Extractions are black neoprene cut-outs based on Matisse’s infamous Nu Bleu gouaches and Tarsila do Amaral’s 1928 painting Abaporu. Pictured: E (TA/AP) (Extraction), 2016
INFORMATION
’Karin Schneider: Situational Diagram’ is on view until 20 October. For more information, visit the Dominique Lévy Gallery website
Photography courtesy the artist and Dominique Lévy Gallery
ADDRESS
Dominique Lévy Gallery
909 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10021
-
Hanker after a 1970s supercar? The Encor Series 1 elevates the Lotus Esprit to a new levelThis limited-edition remastering of the dramatic wedge-shaped Lotus Esprit stops at nothing to improve and enhance the original without losing sight of its analogue excellence
-
A new photo book takes you behind the scenes of some of cinema's most beloved films, from 'Fargo' to 'Charlie's Angels'Set decorator Lauri Gaffin captures Hollywood's quieter moments in an arresting new book
-
This sculptural London seafood restaurant was shaped by ‘the emotions of the sea’In Hanover Square, Mazarine pairs a bold, pearlescent interior with modern coastal cuisine led by ‘bistronomy’ pioneer chef Thierry Laborde
-
Nadia Lee Cohen distils a distant American memory into an unflinching new photo book‘Holy Ohio’ documents the British photographer and filmmaker’s personal journey as she reconnects with distant family and her earliest American memories
-
Out of office: The Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekIt’s been a week of escapism: daydreams of Ghana sparked by lively local projects, glimpses of Tokyo on nostalgic film rolls, and a charming foray into the heart of Christmas as the festive season kicks off in earnest
-
Ed Ruscha’s foray into chocolate is sweet, smart and very AmericanArt and chocolate combine deliciously in ‘Made in California’, a project from the artist with andSons Chocolatiers
-
Inside the work of photographer Seydou Keïta, who captured portraits across West Africa‘Seydou Keïta: A Tactile Lens’, an exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum, New York, celebrates the 20th-century photographer
-
Out of office: The Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekFrom sumo wrestling to Singaporean fare, medieval manuscripts to magnetic exhibitions, the Wallpaper* team have traversed the length and breadth of culture in the capital this week
-
María Berrío creates fantastical worlds from Japanese-paper collages in New YorkNew York-based Colombian artist María Berrío explores a love of folklore and myth in delicate and colourful works on paper
-
Out of office: the Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekAs we approach Frieze, our editors have been trawling the capital's galleries. Elsewhere: a 'Wineglass' marathon, a must-see film, and a visit to a science museum
-
June Leaf’s New York survey captures a life in motionJune Leaf made art in many forms for over seven decades, with an unstoppable energy and fierce appetite leading her to rationalise life in her own terms.
