A book published on the occasion of this exhibition includes essays by Eleanor Heartney, Stephen Westfall, Raphael Rubinstein and David Cohen, from the latter of whom the following paragraph is extracted:

His strategy entails means of generating isolated pockets of chance within a meticulously balanced, evolving order. Norton is able to draw on years of experience as a commercial house painter, as well of course as a fine artist. He starts a painting with a layer of transparent medium applied allover. The first intimation of a compositional structure is the chance pattern of brushstroke visible in the primed ground. Her refers to what commercial painters call “holidays,” the lesions or overlaps that prevent a brushless smooth surface. (In view of the noisy brood that a Norton composition will spawn it is worth recalling the words of Toru Takemitsu, that silence is the mother – or perhaps grandmother – of music.) As a non-volitional means of generating marks, canvases are often then laid on the floor where they accept studio droppings and stray flings of paint from other works in process. When he finds himself responding consciously to the emerging composition the canvas graduates to the wall. It is presumably at this stage that he becomes more acutely aware, and protective, of remaining clear ground. This ontology is significant as it reverses, or at least complicates, a causal notion of raw ground supporting cultivated or tolerated accumulations. The complexity brings to mind random pockets on an ethnographic or linguistic map where it looks like a stray group has settled whereas they are the remnant of the group that was already there.

Pictured: Sampling Time, 2016-17

C. Michael Norton: Infinity’s Sprawl at UNIX Gallery, 532 West 24th Street, New York City, October 26 to December 09; reception: Thursday, October 26, 6-8PM

The post C. Michael Norton: Infinity’s Sprawl at UNIX Gallery appeared first on artcritical.

For the final meet up of its tenth anniversary season at the National Academy Museum,  it looks like some scratching and biting can be expected at The Review Panel. Power critics Christina Kee, Peter Plagens and Roberta Smith will join moderator David Cohen on May 29, and the shows they are considering, all downtown for a change, somehow reference or allude to wild beasts. They are “Natalie Frank: The Brother Grimm,” at the Drawing Center, “Rosy Keyser: The Hell Bitch,” at Maccarone; C. “Michael Norton: The Wolf I Feed,” at Brian Morris Gallery and “Buddy Warren, Inc.,” and “Christine Rebet: Paysage Fautif at Bureau.” Let’s see if fur flies.

Natalie Frank: The Brothers Grimm at The Drawing Center, 35 Wooster Street, 212 219 2166
Rosy Keyser: The Hell Bitch at Maccarone,  630 Greenwich Street, 212 431 4977
C. Michael Norton: The Wolf I Feed at Brian Morris Gallery and Buddy Warren, Inc., 171 Chrystie Street, 347 261 8228
Christine Rebet: Paysage Fautif at Bureau, 178 Norfolk Street, 212 227 2783

The post From the archives: Peter Plagens in 2015, with Christina Kee and Roberta Smith appeared first on artcritical.

For the final meet up of its tenth anniversary season at the National Academy Museum,  it looks like some scratching and biting can be expected at The Review Panel. Power critics Christina Kee, Peter Plagens and Roberta Smith will join moderator David Cohen on May 29, and the shows they are considering, all downtown for a change, somehow reference or allude to wild beasts. They are “Natalie Frank: The Brother Grimm,” at the Drawing Center, “Rosy Keyser: The Hell Bitch,” at Maccarone; C. “Michael Norton: The Wolf I Feed,” at Brian Morris Gallery and “Buddy Warren, Inc.,” and “Christine Rebet: Paysage Fautif at Bureau.” Let’s see if fur flies.

Natalie Frank: The Brothers Grimm at The Drawing Center, 35 Wooster Street, 212 219 2166
Rosy Keyser: The Hell Bitch at Maccarone,  630 Greenwich Street, 212 431 4977
C. Michael Norton: The Wolf I Feed at Brian Morris Gallery and Buddy Warren, Inc., 171 Chrystie Street, 347 261 8228
Christine Rebet: Paysage Fautif at Bureau, 178 Norfolk Street, 212 227 2783

The post May 2015: Christina Kee, Peter Plagens and Roberta Smith with moderator David Cohen appeared first on artcritical.