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StephenMueller vUntitledCharleston200422x15incheswatercoloronpaper StephenMuellerAselectionofpaintings19882011February28April112015LennonWeinbergInc.514West25StreetNewYorkNewYork100012129410012www.lennonweinberg.com SaintCicada198850x48inchesacrylicandpigmentoncanvas ThisisthethirdexhibitionofStephenMuellersworkatLennonWeinberg.Thersttookplacein2010ashowofworksallpaintedinasingleyear.Afterhisdeathin2011weorganizedasecondexhibitionoflateworkfromaspanofveyearsthatprovidedanopportunitytorevealsomeofhisnalpaintings.Itnowseemsappropriatetolookatworkfromawidertimeframe.TheshowbeginswithSaintCicada1988.ItwasrstshownatAnninaNoseiGalleryandisaclassicexamplefromtheperiodthatearnedMuellerareputationasoneofAmericasbestyoungabstractpaintersandinclusioninamemorablystrongWhitneyBiennialthepreviousyear.ThepaintingisperfectlyintunewiththeextravagantlypainterlyethosoftheNeo-ExpressionistdecadebutalsondsMuellerrightatthecuspofchangesthatsubstantiallyredenedhiswork.Itcontainsinsomewhatembryonicformmanyofthecompositionalelementsthatappearinhisworkofthefollowingyearspuriedclariedandserene.ItsaninterestingtitleSaintCicada.Itspeakstotheecstasiestormentsmiraclesandmartyrdomsassociatedwithsaintsandthewaysthatthosestateshavebeenconjuredinsomeofthemosthallucinogenicandrapturouspaintingsinarthistory.Italsoalludestorebirthtopassagefromdarkenclosuretothewarmthoflightandthegorgeousnessofthenaturalworld.MorningthisEvening1990aminimalisticandadumbralpaintingallowsthetinyintrusionsofgeometryamongthemusculargesturesofSaintCicadaamoreprominentroleandisaquietlymeditativetourdeforce.StephenMuellerhadalong-standinginterestinBuddhistandTantricartthatwasheightenedbyalargeexhibitionthattookplaceinNewYorkin1991WisdomandCompassionTheSacredArtofTibetattheIBMGallery.KlausKertess wrotethisaboutMuellersrecentworkina1993articleinArtforummagazineHisvividlyhuedellipticalandcircularshapeshoverandbuzzinshimmeringmiststheirman-nerwhilelessregimentedrecallsthemultiplesofBuddhasbeaticchubbinessthatoatsofrontallyontheatandoreategroundofmanyTibetantankapaintings.LikethoseofTibetanpaintersMuellersanimatedapparitionsofthelasttwoyearsareatoncestunninglypresentandutterlyelu-sivebyturnscosmiccomicmysticanderotic.Duringtheearlytomid-1990swhilethespotlightoftheartworldturnedtowardsocietalandconceptualissuesMuellermadepaintingsthatelaboratedacelestialuniverseofdriftingatmospheresandhard-edgedshapesplayingwitharrangementsoftransparenciesandopacitiesthatevidencedhisincreasinginterestinthemediumofwatercolor.Thereisagraceandwonderintheworkofthisparticularperiodthatwarrantsadeeperlookinanexhibitiononitsown.Itisunmistakablethatthisistheerainwhichhismaturestyleforlackofabetterwordcameintobeing.FromthistimeoncirclesovalsplaidsstripesTantricshapesfansaurasandotheropticalourishestraverseradianteldswithaninsouciantimpetuosity.Navigator2007apaintingthatfeaturesadial-likeformabreastofoverlappingcircularbandssuggestsonewhohasavisionofthewayforward.ThelastworkintheshowOwen2011namedforafriendwhodiednotsolongbeforeStephenhimselfiscelebratoryinregardtoourultimatedestination.ThatStephenMuellersownjourneywascutshortattheageofsixty-threeshouldnotdiminishourenjoymentofthelegacyofasingularlyenlightenedpainteronewhowasindeedamongthebestofhisgeneration.JillWeinbergAdamsNewYork2015 Untitled19888928x28inchesacrylicpigmentinkoncanvas Untitled19888928x28inchesacrylicpigmentinkoncanvas MorningthisEvening199050x48inchesacryliconcanvas Untitled199028x28inchesacrylicandinkoncanvas UntitledChiStories199528x28inchesacryliconcanvas Untitled199630x30inchesacryliconcanvas UntitledEnvoy199628x28inchesacryliconcanvas RisingSun200334x34inchesacryliconcanvas Untitled200024x24inchesacryliconcanvas Untitled200224x24inchesacryliconcanvas Untitled200224x24inchesacryliconcanvas Untitled200524x24inchesacryliconcanvas Untitled200524x24inchesacryliconcanvas Navigator200771x66inchesacryliconcanvas Owen201134x34inchesacryliconcanvas StephenMueller19472011wasborninNorfolkVirginiaandgrewupinDallasTexas.HereceivedhisBFAattheUniversityofTexasAustinandhisMAfromBenningtonCollege.HehasexhibitedwithTexasGalleryinHoustonsince1974andwasrepresentedinNewYorkbyTibordeNagyAnninaNoseiandBillMaynesbetween1975and2001.HisworkhasbeenexhibitedinLondonatFabianCarlssoninLosAngelesatDanielWeinbergatGalerieSpechtinBaselandmorerecentlyatNatureMorteinBerlinGaleriaOttoZooinMilanandCardwell-JimmersoninCulverCity.LennonWeinberghasexhibitedhisworkinNewYorksince2007andpresentedsoloexhibitionsin2010and2012.MuellerwasincludedinWhitneyBiennialexhibitionsin1987andin1995.AnexhibitionofaseriesofMandalapaintingstookplaceatArtOmiinGhentNewYorkin2010.HisworksareincludedinmanymuseumcollectionsincludingtheMuseumofFineArtsinHoustontheWhitneyMuseumofAmericanArttheBrooklynMuseumtheHighMuseumtheDenverArtMuseumthePortlandArtMuseumtheJoslynArtMuseumtheBirminghamMuseumofArttheMunsonWilliamsProctorMuseumofArtandtheBlantonMuseumofArt.HereceivedgrantsandawardsfromtheGuggenheimFoundationthePollock-KrasnerFoundationtheNewYorkFoundationfortheArtstheNationalEndowmentfortheArtsandtheGottliebFoundation.HereceivedaGuggenheimfellowshipin2000andwasaregularcontributortoArtinAmericaandArtcritical. bkUntitled199228x28inchesacryliconcanvas LennonWeinbergInc.