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Fregrondrevisitsanexhibitionthatwepresentedtwentyyearsago.AftersevenyearsinourrstlocationinSohowemovedtoanewspaceat560Broadway.Ourrstexhibitiontherewasbornoftheserendipityofsomeveryspecialartworksthatwehadonhand.TherewasJoanMitchellsgrandeValleeiV1984alongwithabigstrongpaintingfrom1970fromtheestateofXavierFourcadeMitchellsformerdealerandmyemployerandmentor.AlsofromhiscollectionwehadaseriesofblackandwhitelithographsbyWillemdeKooningandasourgallerycontinuedtorepresentthesculptorRaoulHagueseveralclassicworkswerewaitinginthewarehouse.Itwasasatisfyingshowofworksindiversemediumsbythreeimpor-tantartistsassociatedwiththecanonofAbstractExpressionism.Adierentsetofcircumstancesgaverisetotheimpulsetoreprisethe1995exhibitionthisspring.Inthecourseofpullingittogetheraunifyingthemeguidedtheselectionofworksandthatisthecom-positionalrelationshipofgureandground.Eachofthesethreeart-istsindierentwaysandinvariousmediumshavecreatedworksinwhichwhatisnotthereachievesanequivalencewithwhatis.AconcernwithgureandgroundseemstohavebeenenduringlyimportanttoJoanMitchell.In1973sheaddresseditinthiscommentidothnkabothowtsworknandbythatimeanmakntheback-rondeqaltothesbjectnweht.Andin1985ithnkthatftheguregrounddoesntworkinapaintingImnotverysatisedwithit.NowifIhaveablankspaceinthereanditisntworkingasapositivespaceaswellasanunpaintedspacethenIlltakeitoutorpaintitin.unttledc.195758isaperfectexampleofwhatshelaterdescribed.BetweenboldandvariedbrushstrokesinachordofredgreenumberandochrecolorsarrayedacrossasuspendedTuckerMarcia.JoanMtchellNewYorkWhitneyMuseumofAmericanArt1974page9.CohenCoraandSusslerBetsy.JoanMitchellBombMagazine17Fall1986.