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FigureGround WillemdeKooningLovetoWakako197045x28incheslithograph FigureGroundJoanMitcheLLWiLLeMdeKooningraouLhagueApril18June62015LennonWeinberginc.514West25StreetNewYorkNewYork100012129410012www.lennonweinberg.com JoanMitchelluntitledc.19575877x68inchesoiloncanvas Fregrondrevisitsanexhibitionthatwepresentedtwentyyearsago.AftersevenyearsinourrstlocationinSohowemovedtoanewspaceat560Broadway.Ourrstexhibitiontherewasbornoftheserendipityofsomeveryspecialartworksthatwehadonhand.TherewasJoanMitchellsgrandeValleeiV1984alongwithabigstrongpaintingfrom1970fromtheestateofXavierFourcadeMitchellsformerdealerandmyemployerandmentor.AlsofromhiscollectionwehadaseriesofblackandwhitelithographsbyWillemdeKooningandasourgallerycontinuedtorepresentthesculptorRaoulHagueseveralclassicworkswerewaitinginthewarehouse.Itwasasatisfyingshowofworksindiversemediumsbythreeimpor-tantartistsassociatedwiththecanonofAbstractExpressionism.Adierentsetofcircumstancesgaverisetotheimpulsetoreprisethe1995exhibitionthisspring.Inthecourseofpullingittogetheraunifyingthemeguidedtheselectionofworksandthatisthecom-positionalrelationshipofgureandground.Eachofthesethreeart-istsindierentwaysandinvariousmediumshavecreatedworksinwhichwhatisnotthereachievesanequivalencewithwhatis.AconcernwithgureandgroundseemstohavebeenenduringlyimportanttoJoanMitchell.In1973sheaddresseditinthiscommentidothnkabothowtsworknandbythatimeanmakntheback-rondeqaltothesbjectnweht.Andin1985ithnkthatftheguregrounddoesntworkinapaintingImnotverysatisedwithit.NowifIhaveablankspaceinthereanditisntworkingasapositivespaceaswellasanunpaintedspacethenIlltakeitoutorpaintitin.unttledc.195758isaperfectexampleofwhatshelaterdescribed.BetweenboldandvariedbrushstrokesinachordofredgreenumberandochrecolorsarrayedacrossasuspendedTuckerMarcia.JoanMtchellNewYorkWhitneyMuseumofAmericanArt1974page9.CohenCoraandSusslerBetsy.JoanMitchellBombMagazine17Fall1986. center-weightedcompositionMitchellpaintedtheenclosedspaceswithsubtlywarmorcoolneutralsthatickerbackandforthbetweentheforegroundandtheunderlyingcanvas.Thepaletonesconnectthemtotheprimedlinengroundthattheyarepaintedmakesthempartofthegure.ThepaintingisasottovocevariantoftheWhitneyMuseumshemlock1956andthePhillipsCollectionsaugustruedguerre1957.Sheaddressedtheguregrounddynamicovertlyinherworkofthemid-sixtiesrepresentedinthisexhibitionwithcharcoaldraw-ingsinwhichdenseformsaresurroundedandinterpenetratedbytheneighboringexpansesofpaper.AndinthelatelithographdiptychspublishedbyTylerGraphicsin1992thereisaninterplaybetweendrawnlinesandinterveningspacethatstronglyandsomewhatsurprisinglyechoesthesparearchitectureoftheearlierpaintingintheshow.InWillemdeKooningsworktheemphasisonthebalancebetweengureandgroundismostprominentinthebiomorphicpaintingsofthe1940sagainatthecuspofthe60sandnallyinhislastpaintingsofthe80s.WearerepresentingdeKooningintheexhibitionwithselectionsfromhis197071lithographsinwhichheexploitsthepropertiesofthemediumintheexecutionofworksinwhichthegureandgroundachieveadelicatebalance.TherenedoutlinesofthebrushstrokesofWahKeeSpareRibswerecreatedbyrinsingtheprintingplatebeforethelithographicmediumhadfullydriedwhichreincorporatedthegroundintotheuidgestures.InspiredbySumiinkdrawingsthediscretemarksthatpopulateWeekentMr.nMrs.KriserLovetoWkkoandReectionstoKermitforOurTriptoJapanallowthebeautifulricepaperitselftobecomeaprominentfeatureofthenishedworks.InLandscapeonStantonStreetunliketheotherprintsexecutedonstoneratherthanaluminumplatesthelightofthepapershinesthroughthemodulatedtonesoftheink.Theimpressionofthisworkintheshowisararetrialproofonapaperbrighterthanthatchosenforthenishededition. WillemdeKooningWeekendatMr.Mrs.Krisher197050x35incheslithograph AsasculptorRaoulHaguerecaststheguregroundrelationshipasthatofvolumeandvoid.Hiscarvedstoneorwoodsculpturesofthe1930sand40swereself-containedvolumetricguresthatstoodindependentofthespacearoundthem.Hedepartedfromliteralg-urationandembracedabstractforminthe50sanditwasnotlongafterthathebegantoopenuphismassesandintroducednegativespaceintohisincreasinglycomplexshapes.Haguesrawmaterialswerefourtosixfootsectionsoftreetrunksandintimehestartedtofavorthesectionswherethetrunkseparatesintobranches.Ingarrisonfrom1967heworkedintothesolidmassofthetrunkdramaticallyopeninguptwoopposingdiagonalsthatechoasmallremnantofabranchingtrunk.Itisaworkinwhichitisdiculttodecipherwhatmighthavebeentheoriginalshapeofthewood.Itisduringhislateworkofthe1980sand90sthatHaguemostradicallyexploredthevoidswithinthevolumes.SycamoreSummerfrom1992ishislastnishedworkandhasneverbeenexhibiteduntilnow.Thesculpturehasoneverticalspinethatshowstheorigi-naloutercontourofthetrunkoneithersideofwhichthevolumeofthewoodhasbeenopenedupallthewaytoitscore.Itisamul-tifacetedshapethatpresentsremarkablydierentcompositionsdependingontheviewersvantagepoint.Acentralconcernwiththecompositionaldynamicbetweeng-ureandgroundwasnotalwaysintheforefrontofthemanyart-worksmadebyWillemdeKooningRaoulHagueandJoanMitchellduringtheirlongandproductivelives.Theircommandofcolorandtactilitytheirresourcefulnessasmasterfullyinventivevisualart-istsandtheirsheerpowersofcreativeexpressionareprodigious.Wefoundanewmeasureofserendipityinreimagininganexhibi-tionthatwasoriginallypresentedshortlyafterthedeathsofMitch-ellandHagueandnotlongbeforedeKooningsandaregladtohaveanopportunitytoshowtheseworkstoalargelynewaudienceinadierentcontextoftimeandplace.j RaoulHaguegarrisonY196744x42x20incheswalnut JoanMitchellSunfowersIV199257x82inchesdiptychcolorlithograph WillemdeKooningLandscapeatStantonStreet197130x22incheslithograph JoanMitchelluntitledc.196529x21inchescharcoalandpastelonpaper RaoulHagueSycamoreSummer199248x30x27inchessycamore WillemdeKooningReectionsToKermitforOurTriptoJapan197050x35incheslithograph JoanMitchellSunfowersI199257x82inchesdiptychcolorlithograph WillemdeKooningbornRotterdamtheNetherlands1904diedEastHamptonNewYork1997.AllworksbyWillemdeKooning2015TheWillemdeKooningFoundationArtistsRightsSoci-etyARSNewYorkRaoulHaguebornConstantinopleTurkey1904diedWoodstockNewYork1993.AllworksbyRaoulHagueTheRaoulHagueFoundationVAGANewYorkJoanMitchellbornChicagoIllinois1925diedParisFrance1992.AllworksbyJoanMitchellTheEstateofJoanMitchell LennonWeinberginc.