A mere three years ago, the San Francisco-based artist Andrew Masullo racked up considerable acclaim in the art world as a stunning 34 of his oil paintings were included in the 2012 Whitney Biennial. This should be the contextual backdrop to see Tibor de Nagy Gallery’s current showing ‘Andrew Masullo: Recent Paintings’, which presents a selection of work spanning 26 years of his exciting career.
‘Andrew’s artistic endeavors reflect his propensity for small scaled hard-edged nonobjective works with a vivid palette in a narrow range of colors,’ says Eric Brown, Tibor de Nagy’s co-owner. A case in point is the artist’s 6052, a perfect example of Masullo's methods of using unmixed oil paint straight from the tube.
And placement in the Whitney Biennale isn’t the only feather in Masullo’s cap. Born in 1957 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, he was honoured by The American Academy of Arts and Letters a scant five years ago, no less.
His seemingly simple assemblies of shape and colour are actually complex interplays that pit compositional pieces against each other to captivate the viewer. But Masullo has also gone far beyond oil painting to trod radically different paths. The artist has also turned to found material in creating Joseph Cornell-like boxes, collages, sculpture and even puzzles with a heavy reliance on text, points out Brown.
‘There’s a measured directness to Andrew’s paintings. As he has said: A painting that needs to be explained is not worth talking about.’
With almost 34 paintings included in the 2012 Whitney Biennial, Masullo’s colourful approach is lauded for its apparent simplicity. Pictured: ’5766’ (2013), oil on canvas
’6052’ (2014) is a perfect example of Masullo’s technique, which involves him painting with unmixed oil paints, straight from the tube
‘Andrew’s artistic endeavors reflect his propensity for small scaled hard-edged nonobjective works with a vivid palette in a narrow range of colors,’ says Eric Brown, Tibor de Nagy’s co-owner
All of his paintings are titled using the same numeral system that the artist devised in 1978. Pictured: ’5772’ (2013), oil on canvas
Even in his 4th decade of working, the San Francisco-based artist produces works that are as captivating as ever. Pictured: ’4954’ (2007), oil on canvas
INFORMATION
‘Andrew Masullo: Recent Paintings’ is on view until 5 December
ADDRESS
Tibor de Nagy
724 Fifth Avenue
New York
-
The Met reveals its 2026 Costume Institute show along with another major milestoneThe First Monday in May just became a much bigger deal...
-
MillerKnoll's renovated flagship in New York opens doors to design experiencesThe new MillerKnoll New York gallery space makes its debut with Keiji Takeuchi’s ‘Walking Sticks & Canes’ exhibition, supported by Triennale Milano
-
Inside the world of Wicked: 'We have to redefine the yellow brick road as a form of oppression'With the second instalment of Wicked looming, Production Designer Nathan Crowley shares the challenges of bringing the magical world to life
-
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
-
Jamel Shabazz’s photographs are a love letter to Prospect ParkIn a new book, ‘Prospect Park: Photographs of a Brooklyn Oasis, 1980 to 2025’, Jamel Shabazz discovers a warmer side of human nature
-
The Hammer Museum in Los Angeles launches the seventh iteration of its highly anticipated artist biennialOne of the gallery's flagship exhibitions, Made in LA showcases the breadth and depth of the city's contemporary art scene
-
Thomas Prior’s photography captures the uncanny fragility of American lifeA new book unites two decades of the photographer’s piercing, uneasy work
-
Central Park’s revitalised Delacorte Theater gears up for a new futureEnnead Architects helmed an ambitious renovation process that has given the New York City cultural landmark a vibrant and more accessible future
-
Stephen Prina borrows from pop, classical and modern music: now MoMA pays tribute to his performance work‘Stephen Prina: A Lick and a Promise’ recalls the artist, musician, and composer’s performances, and is presented throughout MoMA. Prina tells us more
-
Curtains up, Kid Harpoon rethinks the sound of Broadway production ‘Art’He’s crafted hits with Harry Styles and Miley Cyrus; now songwriter and producer Kid Harpoon (aka Tom Hull) tells us about composing the music for the new, all-star Broadway revival of Yasmina Reza’s play ‘Art’
-
Richard Prince recontextualises archival advertisements in TexasThe artist unites his ‘Posters’ – based on ads for everything from cat pictures to nudes – at Hetzler, Marfa
