Monday, April 10, 6PM
Logan Center for the Arts, Penthouse Room 901
Why Paintings Work
Author and curator Jurriaan Benschop will speak about his new book Why Paintings Work, in which he navigates through the stylistically diverse landscape of contemporary painting. In the book, he introduces the work of dozens of painters, discussing the themes, techniques, and sensibilities that can be found in their art. He continually returns to the question: Why does this painting work? In what ways does it speak to the viewer? He considers both the visible aspects of a painting, such as the depicted motif and the application of paint, as well as the concepts, beliefs, and motivations that lie behind the canvas. Why Paintings Work is not just about the mechanics of looking at works of art, but also about finding a language that suits the paintings and the experiences of the present day.
The lecture will introduce some of the artists featured in the book, including Helmut Federle, Elisabeth Frieberg, Victoria Gitman, Martha Jungwirth, Rezi van Lankveld, Lara de Moor, Fiona Rae, Marc Trujillo, and Matthias Weischer.
Benschop is a Dutch writer and curator based in Athens, Greece, and Berlin, Germany. He publishes in magazines such as Artforum and has contributed to numerous museum catalogs and artist’s books. Among the exhibitions he has curated are A Grammar of Gestures (Athens, 2021), Taking Root (Düsseldorf, 2019), and A Matter of Touch (Berlin, 2020). His book Salt in the Wound (2019) examines the relationship between works of art and the cultural background of the artists who make them. His latest book, Why Paintings Work, will be published by Garret Publications in the Spring of 2023.
Presented by the Open Practice Committee in the Department of Visual Arts