MAGAZINEMAY04,2009

Featuredin
May2009Issue

PROVISIONAL
PAINTING
by Raphael Rubinstein
ForthepastyearorsoIvebecomeincreasinglyawareofakindof
provisionalitywithinthepracticeofpainting.Ifirstnoticedit
pervadingthecanvasesofRaoulDeKeyser,AlbertOehlen,
ChristopherWool,MaryHeilmannandMichaelKrebber,artistswho
havelongmadeworksthatlookcasual,dashedoff,tentative,
unfinishedorselfcancelling.Indifferentways,theyalldeliberately
turnawayfromstrongpaintingforsomethingthatseemsto

RaoulDeKeyser:
Untitled,2006,oilon

constantlyriskinconsequenceorcollapse.

canvas,3512by4938
inches.CourtesyDavid
ZwirnerGallery,New
York,andZenoX
Gallery,Antwerp.

Whywouldanartistdemurattheprospectofafinishedwork,court
selfsabotagingstrategies,signhisorhernametoapaintingthat
looks,fromsomeperspectives,likeanutterfailure?Itmighthave
somethingtodowithafoundationalskepticismthatrunsthroughthe
historyofmodernart:weseeitinCzannesinfinite,agonized
adjustmentsofMontSt.Victoire,inDadasnoisydenunciations
(typifiedbyPicabiasblasphemousPortraitofCzanne),in
Giacomettisendlessobliterationsandrestartingsofhispainted
portraits,inSigmarPolkesgloriouslydumbcompositionsofthe
1960s.Somethingsimilarcanbefoundinotherartforms,inPaul
Valrysinsistencethatapoemisneverfinished,onlyabandoned,
inArtaudscallfornomoremasterpieces,andinpunksknowing
embraceoftheamateurishandfuckedup.Thehistoryofmodernism
isfullofstrategiesofrefusalandactsofnegation.
ThegenealogyofwhatIrefertoasprovisionalpaintingincludes
RichardTuttlesdecadeslongpursuitofhumblebeauty,Nol
Dollasstillradicalstainedhandkerchiefpaintingsofthelate1960s,
RobertRauschenbergscardboardsofthe1970s,DavidSalles
intentionallyfeebleearlycanvasesandthefirstthought/bestthought
whirlwindthatwasMartinKippenberger.Itakesuchworktobe,in
part,astrugglewithamediumthatcanseemtooinvestedin
permanenceandvirtuosity,incarefullyplannedoutcompositions
andlayeredmeanings,inartisticauthorityandcreativestrength,inall

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thequalitiesthatmakethefineartsfine.Asemployedbyyounger

artists,provisionalitymayalsobeanattempttospurnthe
blandishmentsoftheartmarketwhatseemed,untilonlyyesterday,
aninsatiableappetiteforsmart,stylish,immaculatelyexecuted
canvases,paintingsthatleftnodoubtastotheartiststechnical
competence,refinedsensibilityandsolidworkethic.
FiveProvisionalPainters
RaoulDeKeyserspaintingstendtobemodestinsize,sothatthey
havealreadyforfeitedheroicambitionsevenbeforethefirstmark
ismade.Unlikemanypainterswhowieldimpressivetechniquesin
smallscalework(TommaAbts,JamesSiena,MerlinJames),De
Keyserdoesntcompensateformodestyofsizewithcomplex
compositionsordazzlingbrushwork.Onthecontrary,heworksina
mannersolowkeythatevensympatheticcriticscanbeunsurehow
toevaluatehispaintings.In2006,NewYorkTimesreviewerRoberta
Smithnotedhisweirdcombinationofdeliberationandindecision1
in2004,BarrySchwabsky,writinginArtforum,describedthe
oscillatingresponsesDeKeysersworkcaninspire:Slapdash
handlinggraduallybeginstoseemsurpassinglysensitiveorisit?
Thegrubbycolor,freshandbeautifullycalibratedbutisit,really?
Thesenseofdoubtneverquitegoesaway.2
Intruth,whenyouencounteraDeKeyseritdoesnttaketoomuch
imaginationtoattributeittoanamateurpainterhavingatryat
abstractionafterseeingreproductionssomewhereofpaintingsby
ClyffordStillandJeanArp.Hemanagestolaydownafewjagged
shapes,usuallyallthesamecolor,againstamonochromeground.

Thelimitedpalettesuggestsnotanyreductiviststrategybutanovice
whohasinvestedinonlyacoupleoftubesofpaint.Noeffortismade
tohidethelaboriousadjustmentstothecontoursoftheshapesor
preliminarypencilmarkings.Nolineisquitestraightplacementof
shapesanddotsofcolorappeareithersenselesslyrandomorstiffly
coordinated.AsFrenchcuratorJeanCharlesVergneputsit,De
Keysersworkconstantlyassertstheimpossibilityofpaintingfree
oftouchups,mistakes,accidents,setonlayingbaretheseams,the
secondtriesandthefailures....[Thereis]aconstantstutteringinthe
painting.3
UnlikeDeKeyser,AlbertOehlenpaintsbigandavailshimselfoffar
morethantwoorthreecolors,buthiscanvasesalsoseemrifewith
mistakesandsecondtries.Oehlendoesnotbothertohidehis
relianceonstandardgraphicdesignsoftwareformanyofhis
compositions.Evenaftermorethanadecadeofexperiment,he
wieldsthesebasicdigitaltoolswithapparentclumsinesshis
computerassistedpaintingscansometimesbringtomindPaperRad,
theU.S.artcollectivethatfetishizestheclunkygraphicsofearly
videogames.Oehlenspaintingsusuallybeginwithcollagebased
inkjetimages,overwhichhelayersdirtylookingswathsofthinpaint
andwhackedoutmeanderinglines.Canvasesinarecentshowofless
digitalworkatNathalieObadiainParisfeaturesmudgesofoilpaint
atopfragmentsofSpanishadvertisingpostersmanyofthemlookas
ifsomeonehadinadvertentlyspilledpaintontoaposterand,inthe
attempttocleanitoff,hadonlymademattersworse.Thisonetime
purveyorofbadNeoExpressionismhasbeencommittedtolarge

scaleabstractionsincethelate1980s(when,inhisownwords,he
startedmakinganefforttobeseenasaseriouspainter4),buthis
work,whichmanagestobeatonceantisepticandmessy,continues
todrawgreatpictorialforcefromitsabjectawkwardness.
ThegrisailleabstractionsChristopherWoolhasbeenmakingsince
about2006sharealotwithOehlenswork.(Theresemblanceismore
thancoincidental:thesetwoartistsenjoyalongstandingdialogue,
mostrecentlyevidencedbytheOehlenpaintingWoolselectedforhis
sectionoftheartistcuratedshowSardinesandOrangesatthe
HammerMuseum.)Thesmudgedpassagesofpaintdefacingpartsof
Oehlenscanvasesbecome,inWoolswork,somethinglikethe
groundofthecomposition.BothartistsalsomakePhotoshop,or
similarsoftware,partoftheirpaintingprocess.Forsomeworks,
Wooltakesphotographsofbrushstrokesinhisownprevious
paintings,whichhemanipulatesdigitally.Thesealteredimagesare
silkscreenedontoaluminumorlinen.Othermorestraightforward
paintingsemployenamelpaint(sprayedandbrushedon)tosimilar
effect.Thecompositionsfeaturelargeclumpsofbroadbackand
forthgrayandwhitebrushstrokesthinkofwhitewashedwindows
orrubbedoutchalkonblackboardsthroughwhichwanderblack
spraypaintedlinesofvaryingthicknessthatsuggestbentrebaror
mangledwirecoathangers.ThereareechoesofdeKooningslight
filledlandscapeinspiredpaintingsofthe1960sand70s,though
Woolsengrainedchromophobia(overseveraldecadesofpaintinghe
hashardlyeverstrayedfromapaletteofblackandwhite)keeps
natureatbay.Whatwegetinsteadareparadoxicalpicturesinwhich

theartistseemstohaveobliteratedapaintinginprogressandthen
presentedthissumoferasuresasthefinishedwork.Buthasanything
actuallybeencoveredup?IstheresomethingunderWoolserasures?
Fromoneangle,MaryHeilmannistheunlikeliestofcandidatesfor
paintingstardom:overnearlyfourdecadesshehasreliedonafew
offtherackmoderniststructuresgenerallygridsorblocksofcolor
oversolidgroundswhichshedeployswithanonchalancethat
seemstoborderoncarelessness.LikeDeKeyser,shefavorsthe
slightlywobblyoverthestraightandtrue,andanunflashywayof
handlingpaint.Herpaletteacidicprimariesandanoccasional
blackandwhitecompositionismoreattentiongettingthanhis,and
shehasalwaysbeenadeptatslippinglittlevisualconundrumsinto
herpaintings.(TheresanalmostEscherlikeoscillationoffigureand
groundinmanyofherworks.)Butforanabstractpainterofher
generation,shedisplaysremarkablylittlesenseofprogramor
agenda.Becauseeachpaintingisselfcontainedandunassuming,it

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doesntseemtoinviteanytranscendentreading.Wheresomany
otherpaintersseektoconveytheirartisticambitionsthroughsignsof
intensivelabor,grandscale,dauntingcomplexityorseriousthemes,
Heilmann,whobeganasaceramist,seemstopositionpaintingas
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ceramicsbyothermeans.Inherrecentretrospective[seeA.i.A.,Nov.
07],thepresenceofsomeofherceramicvesselsanddishesand
funkypaintedchairsinvitedviewerstolookatthepainterlyqualities
oftheseobjects.Farmoreinterestingly,theirinclusionsuggestedthat
treatingpaintingasifitwereceramics,thatis,asamediumfreeof
weightyculturalexpectations,iskeytoHeilmannsart.

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Ifonecouldmeasureprovisionalityinpainting,thenMichael
Krebberwouldprobablyscoreoffthecharts.Muchofhiswork,
althoughostensiblyaboutpainting,usesnoneofitsaccepted
componentshismostrecentshowinNewYork,atGreeneNaftali
Gallery,centeredonslicedupwindsurfingboardsandwhenhe
doesengagebrushandcanvas,theresultscanseemlaughablythin.
Manyofhispaintingsconsistofafewbitsofsketchybrushworkthat
mightormightnotrepresentanobjectorbodypartslappedovera
whiteorpastelground.Atothertimes,hehaspaintedwhiteblocky
shapesoverkitschybedlinens,orgluedsinglenewspaperspreads
ontocursorilypaintedgrounds.Confrontedwithabakersdozenof
Krebberspaintings,Londoncritic(andKrebberfan)AdrianSearle
onceobserved:Howlongdideachpaintingtakefiveminutes,10
minutesmax,alifetimeofexperience?5Theresnothinginherently
noteworthyaboutaquicklyexecutedpainting,butKrebbers
hastinessseemsclosertoaprostituteshurriedcouplingthantothe
rapideleganceofaChineseinkpainting.Itappearstosay,Paintingis
whatIdobutletsnotgetsentimentalaboutitorwasteunnecessary

timeormaterialsthisisallyouregettingforyourmoney.Andyet,
Krebbersdisdainforpaintingcouldequallybeinterpretedasasign
ofovervaluationofthemediumheholdsitinsuchhighesteemthat
hesafraidofbesmirchingitthroughexcessivecontact.
Thedandyish,selflaceratingwitthatrunsthroughKrebberswork
(thismaybetherealbasisofhiscriticalassociationwith
Kippenberger)extendstosomeofhistitles.A2004showat
DpendancegalleryinBrusselsofnewspaperspreadpaintingswas
namedUnfinishedtoosoon,aphrasethatsuggestsanartistfailing
toachievenonfinitovitalityoutofsheerimpatience.In2001hetitled
anespeciallysketchypaintingContemptforonesownworkas
planningforcareer.Itwouldbeamistake,however,toequate
Krebberscontemptwithcynicism.Hisattitudetopaintingultimately
seemstoechoMarianneMoorestopoetry:I,too,dislikeit,/
Readingit,however,withaperfectcontemptforit,/Onediscovers
in/It,afterall,aplaceforthegenuine.
ThreeReappearances
Thehistoricalcontextofthequintetofartistsabovemaybecome
clearerwiththenewaccessibilityofbodiesofworkbyJoanMir,
MartinBarrandKimberSmith.UntilJoanMir:Paintingand
AntiPainting,19271937,attheMuseumofModernArtinNew
Yorklastfall,IdrelegatedMirtothestatusofBoringModern
Master,anartistwhoseonceradicalinnovationshadlongagobeen
tamedanddilutedbyoverexposure.The12seriesofworksgathered
byMoMAcuratorAnneUmlandmademedumpthisridiculous
misperceptiononceandforall.

Mirsaiminthisperiodwas,ashetoldaSpanishjournalistin1931,
todestroyeverythingthatexistsinpainting.6Twoworksin
particularexemplifythisagenda.Painting(CloudandBirds),1927,
isabigunprimedcanvaswithagiantclumpofwhitepaintinto
whichMirhasscribbledacursoryseriesofloopingblacklines
someincompletefeatherlikeshapesarescatteredbelow.Painting
(Head),1930,a7by5footwhitegroundcanvas,hasbeen...
defacedisthefirstwordthatcomestomind,byaschematically
outlined,giantpinkhead,largeblotchesofblackandpinkpaintanda
hugetangleofloopingbluelinessimilartotheblackonesinCloud
andBirds.TheimagesinPainting(Head)arelineduponadiagonal
(lowerlefttoupperright),andtheentirecompositioniscrisscrossed
withrapidlydrawnpencillinesandasmatteringofdotsanddashes.
Thelackoffinish,aggressivelycrudefiguration,andextensive
doodlingandcancellationmarkssuggestapainteratwarwithhis
medium.ThatMirdaredsuchprovocationsatthisscalemorethan
75yearsagoisastoundinghelookslikeacontemporaryofPolkeor
Kippenberger.
IthinkthesourceofMirsdaring,andthereasonwhyhisworkisso
closetowhatImcallingprovisionalpainting,residesinhis
rejectionoftheideaofafinished,durablework.In1928,he
confessedtoFrancescTrabalthataftercompletingapaintinghehad
hisdealertakeitawayasquicklyaspossible:Icantbeartohaveit
thereinfrontofme....[When]IvefinishedsomethingIdiscover
itsjustabasisforwhatIvegottodonext.Itsneveranythingmore
thanapointofdeparture....DoIhavetoremindyouthatwhatI

detestmostislasting?7
ThepaintingsofMartinBarr(19241996)remainedlittleknownin
thiscountryuntillastyear,whentheywerethesubjectofashowat
AndrewKrepsGalleryinNewYorkandamonographbyYveAlain
Bois[seeA.i.A.,Jan.09].Emerginginmid1950sParisasagestural
abstractionist,Barrwentagainstthegrainbyworkingwiththin
paint.But,asheexplainedtoCatherineMilletin1974,what
bumpedupagainstthetasteorstyleoftheperiodwasnotsomuch
thislackofthicknessastheimpressionofemptiness,ofnonwork.8
Intheearly1960s,heembarkedonaseriesofpaintingswithstripes
andgrids(healsousedarrowmotifs),sometimesmadewithspray
paintappliedthroughstencils.Evennow,thepictureslookstrikingly
preliminaryandoffhand,liketheunderpaintingofsomenever
finishedwork.Itscommontolocatethezerodegreeofpaintingin
therealmofwhiteorblackmonochromes,butBarrsskewedgrids
andfreefloatingsignscanmakeRymanorReinhardtlookpositively
oldmasterish.Andyetheinsistedthathispaintingsshouldnotbe
understoodasneoDadacritique.WhatIwasdoing,heclarifiedto
Millet,couldwellappearasantipainting,whereaswhatIwantedto
show,throughthetracesorpointsofimpactinaclearsurface,was
whatapaintingcouldbeifdisencumberedofobject,color,and
form.9
UnlikeMirandBarr,theAmericanpainterKimberSmith(1922
1981)wasnotouttodestroyortodisencumberhischosenmedium,
andyethemadepaintings,especiallytowardtheendofhislife,that

hoverattheedgeofdissolution,thatseemradicallyunfinished.
Smithscareercanbedividedintotwoparts:thedecadehespentin
Paris(195464),wherehewasparticularlyclosetofellowexpatriates
ShirleyJaffeandSamFrancis,andtheyearsafterhisreturntothe
U.S.,whenhedividedhistimebetweenNewYorkCityandthe
Hamptons.ThebestrecentpresentationofSmithsworkwasa2004
retrospectiveattheKunstmuseuminWinterthur,Switzerland,which
includedpaintingssuchasKirchnersGarden(1976),Prague(1977)
andNissa(1980).Intheseworks,Smithtreatedthecanvasasagiant
sketchpad.Hegenerallycombinedsetsofwavylines,floatingbars
oflooselyappliedpaint,someapproximatelyfilledinshapesandlots
ofemptyprimedcanvas.Themarksseemnotational,asifthiswerea
preparatorygouachethatsomehowendedupasthefinalpainting.
SmithssignatureapenciledinKSthatseemsasiffyasthe
compositionitclaimsidentifiestheseasfinishedworks.Ina
stylisticfusionthatanticipatesHeilmannsinformalformalism,
SmithsplashedMatisseaninsoucianceovertheseriousminded
legacyofAbstractExpressionism.ReviewingashowofSmiths
paintingsforArtforumin1979,HalFosternotedtheartists
apparentnonchalanceandfreedomfromanxietyinrelationtohis
immediatepredecessors.Smith,hewrote,doesnotfightatthefore,
butneitherdoeshefightattherearindeed,hefightsnotatall.10
AlthoughchieflyconcernedwithhowSmithfacedthedilemmaof
beingasecondgenerationAbstractExpressionistpainterattheend
ofthe70s,yearsthatweresoinhospitabletothestyle,Foster
broachesamuchlargerissue.Itispreciselyindecliningtofight
thatpainterssuchasSmith,HeilmannandDeKeysermaketheir

attacksonreceivedideasaboutpainting.
PaintingandItsImpossibility
Whatmakespaintingimpossible?Whatmakesgreatpainting
impossible?Perhapsitisasenseofbelatedness,aconvictionthatan
earliergenerationorartisthasleftonlyafewscrapstobecleanedup.
Ormaybe,ataparticularmoment,inaparticularlifeandhistory,
nothingcouldseemmorepresumptuousorinappropriatemaybe
evenobscenethantosetouttocreateamasterpiece.Impossibility
canalsobetheresultoftheartistmakingexcessivedemandsonthe
work,demandstowhichcurrentpracticehasnoreply.Atacertain
moment,inacertainstudio,itappearsthatgreatpaintingmaybe
impossible,thatpaintingofanykindmaybeimpossible.
Nonetheless,forwhateverreasonspertainingtoaparticularpainterat
aparticulartime,paintingmustbedone,mustgoon.
Agrowingnumberofyoungerartists(andafewwhohavebeen
showingforlonger)areentertainingtheideaofimpossibilityin
painting.Thishasledthemtorejectasenseoffinishintheirwork,or
torelyonactsofnegation.AnAustrianartistbasedinVienna,Stefan
Sandnerworksmostlywithfoundtextsanddocumentsscrawled
notes,agendapagesandenigmaticsketcheswhichhepaintsina
greatlyenlargedformatontohislargemonochromecanvases.Some
ofthetextsareobviouslyselfreferential(seemebeforeyougo!
pleadedonepaintinginhis2008showinNewYorkatMuseum52)
othersrecycleinscriptionsbyfamouspeople(thetextofa2004
diptychiscribbedfromKurtCobainsjournals),handmadepublic

noticesandartworldephemera(e.g.,aplaylistforaStephenPrina
performance).Theinitialsenseofdisconnectbetweenthetrivialityof
thetextsandthewaytheyhavebeenreproduced(oftenatimposing
scale,onfaultlesslyexecutedcanvases)giveswaytoanewsynthesis.
ItsasifconceptualistJosephGrigelyweresupplyingmaterialto
EllsworthKelly.(Lestviewersbetemptedtopigeonholehimasa
textualappropriator,Sandnerusuallyincludesatleastonetextless
monochromepainting,oftenonashapedcanvas,ineachofhissolo
shows.)RatherthanturningabstractionintoajokelikeRichard
Prince,withwhomhehasbeenunfavorablycomparedSandner
givesitaserioustask:tobridgethegapbetweentheeverydayand
theideal.
The20paintingsinRichardAldrichsshowthiswinteratBortolami
inNewYorkrehearsenearlythatmanymodernistmodes:therewere
gesturalpaintingsthatlooklikedetailsfromlate50sGustons,
deconstructedcanvases,essaysinobliquefiguration,compositions
thatvergeonpatternpainting.Aldrichusescollageelements(pieces
ofclothandartreproductionpostcards),cutsawaysectionsofcanvas
torevealstretcherbars,slathersonoilpaintandwax,reducesa
compositiontoascatteringofseeminglyrandommarks,paintscopies
ofhisownwork.Ratherthananexerciseinstylisticpastiche,
however,orsuggestingthattheartistwereassumingdifferent
personae,theshowlookedverymuchofapiece,heldtogetherbya
curiousawkwardness,evenincompetence,thatpersistedacrossthe
differentmodes.Accommodatingslightlyirregularstretchersanda
lackofperfectrightangles,severalcanvasesarebadlywrinkledand

foldedattheedges.Inonework,fourthinlengthsofsnappedoff
woodemployedasimprovisedpinsholdtogethertwopiecesofblack
cloth.Thebottomthirdofalargeportraitisabruptlycutawayto
revealtheflimsylookingstretcherunderneath.Attachedtoalarge

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paintingfeaturingpostcardsofWhistlersfromtheFrickarefour
largesheetsofpaper,oneofwhichiscrumpledinacornerand
alreadypeelingawayfromitscanvasbacking.Anotherpainting
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abstractionisthadstuckintherackscirca1960.Onewayoranother,
everypaintinghassomethingwrongwithit:sloppycraft,
outmodedstyle,impenetrableobscurity.Takentogether,theseflawed
worksseemlessaboutofferingyetanothercritiqueofpaintingthan
securingpermissionfortheartisttopursueeverypotentially
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WhileCherylDoneganhaslongexploredpaintingissuesinvideoto
muchacclaim,heractualpaintingsgarnermuchlessnotice.Given
hermodeofworking,herchoicesofmaterialsandforms,thisisntso

surprising.DoneganslastshowofpaintingsinNewYork,Luxury
DustinSeptember2007atthenowdefunctOliverKamm/5BE
Gallery,includedaboutadozenworkson24by18inchpiecesof
corrugatedcardboard.Someofthemfeaturecrowded,triangleladen
compositionsexecutedinwaterbasedoilsinothersshecoveredthe
cardboardwithgoldorsilvertapeandthenslicedawayatthetapeto
createspiky,reflectivearrays.Thecheapmaterials,genericimagery
(DonegansclaustrophobicCuboFuturistcompositionssometimes
includeclipsgrabbedfromeBay),modestsizeandhastylooking
factureseemtobegfortheworkstobedismissed.Thetitleofthe
showshouldgiveuspause.Thesearejustaboutthemostunluxurious
paintingsimaginable(aneffectheightenedbythefluorescentlights
theartistrequestedforhershow):assuchtheycanbeinterpretedas
detritusoftheboomorasstrangelyprophesyingapostcrash
economy.
Restlesspainterstendtoworkinseveraldifferentmannersatonceor
embarkonnewapproachesinserialorder.JacquelineHumphries
doesthelatter.Eachofherphasesdisplayshergiftforlinearmark
makingandacuriosityaboutpaintsmaterialpossibilities,though
onefeelssheneverlingersaslongasshecould.Yet,hershowin
winter2006atGreeneNaftaliinNewYorkwasoneofherbest.In
silveryoilpaintings,gesturesseemtoeraseoneanotherinaflurryof
marks,alwaysobliteratingsomeunderlyingcompositionofgreater
orderandgrace.ThoughlongbasedinNewYork,Humphriesisa
NewOrleansnative,anditdoesntseemfarfetchedtoreadthese
turbulentpaintingsasvisionsofalocationoverwhelmedbychaotic

naturalforces.ThereareclearechoesofWoolsselferasinggestures
inHumphriesspaintings(aswellasborrowingsfromRosenquists
shardpaintingsofthe1980s),buthercancellationsaremore
immediateandlessselfconsciousthanWools.
WendyWhitealsoemploystheobliterativequalitiesofpaint,though
sheismorelikelytouseaspraygunthanabrush.Thepaintingsshe
showedatLeoKoeniginNewYorklastsummeraremultipanel,with
threetofivevariouslysizedcanvasesabuttedinirregularformations.
Dense,sootyaccumulationsofblackspraypaintarerandomly
dispersedacrossthepanels,sometimespartiallycoveringmoreopen
tanglesofDayGlolines.Echoingtheirregularityoftheouteredges,
theunitsofpaintavoidneatenclosuretheiredgesfray,disperseand
fadeout,asiftheartistsimplyrunsoutofpaint.Thesenseofrandom
defacementevokesgraffitiart,butonecouldequallythinkofTpies
andMotherwellasinHumphriesswork,thereisanaffinity
betweensomekindsofprovisionalityandgesturalabstraction.
Provisionalityisvisibleinanumberofcurrentartistsnominally
identifiedassculptors,includingSarahBraman,AlexandraBircken
andGediSibonymuchoftheworkintheNewMuseums
Unmonumentalexhibitionof200708,whichincludedBirckenand
Sibonyalongwithmanyothers,embodiedtheprovisionalsensibility
inthreedimensions.AlthoughnotpresentinUnmonumental,
sculptorPeterSorianohasrecentlybeenmakingextremely
provisionalthreedimensionalworks.Eachconsistsofalengthof
aluminumtubingprojectingfromthewall.Steelcablesstretchfrom

thetubetoanchorsonthewall.Thesepointsarelinkedbyspray
paintedlinesandarrows(mostlyinbrightcolors),andsometimes
markedwithcirclesandXsorcrossedoutwithbriefsquiggles.
Usuallyexecutedbytheartist,thesewallworkscanalsobemadeby
othersfollowingasetofinstructions.OwingasmuchtoConEd
streetmarkingsastoconceptualwallworks(LeWitt,Bochner),
Sorianosstructuresdiagramtheirownmaking,butwiththeir
cancellationsandmisdirections(arrowssometimesseemtobe
suggestingaparticularelement,oreventheentirework,shouldbe
movedoverseveralfeet),andworkinprogressstatusconveyedby
thespraypaintedsigns,theyalsoentertainthepossibilitythatthey
couldberemadeinanotherway.Thiscomesaboutnotonlybecause
themetalstructuresandspraypaintedmarksmustbeconstructed
afreshforeachshowing,butalsobecausetheviewerisalwaysbeing
invitedtosecondguesstheartistsdecisions,toimagineother
configurations.
Attimesprovisionalpaintingoverlapswithbadpainting,amode
withrootsinthe1970sthatcontinuestoofferartistsmeansof
engagingthemediumwithouthavingtotakeonallofitsunwanted
trappings.WhenKippenbergeremployedtechniquesthatgivethe
impressionofhasteandclumsiness,itallowedhimtomockthe
marketalongwiththemedium(thoughhealsosnuckinsome
virtuosicpaintingthatdoesntseempretentious).Butprovisionality
canalsobetakentoapointwherethereisnotevenaremote
possibilityofbadconcealinggood.ThatseemstobewhereJoe
BradleysintentintheSchmagooPaintingsthatheshowedat

CanadagalleryinNewYorklastfall.Adistinctionneedstobemade
betweenBradleyandtheotherartistsIhavebeendiscussinghere.
Theirworkmayattimescomeoffasuncertain,incomplete,casual,
selfcancellingorunfinished,buteachofthemisfullycommittedto
theprojectofpainting.Iftheyseektobreakexisting,perhaps
unspoken,contractswithpainting,itisonlyinordertodrawupother
protocolsthatwillrenewthemedium.Bradleyswork,which
sometimessharestheguttersnipeestheticsofartistssuchasDan
ColenandDashSnow,seemsmorelikeawillfulartisticgesturethan
partofapaintersnecessaryprocess.
Provisionalpaintingisnotaboutmakinglastpaintings,norisitabout
thedeconstructionofpainting.Itsthefinishedproductdisguisedasa
preliminarystage,orabodydoublestandinginforastar/masterpiece
whosevaluewouldputastoptoartisticrisk.Toputitanotherway:
provisionalpaintingismajorpaintingmasqueradingasminor
painting.IntheirbookKafka:TowardaMinorLiterature(1986),
GillesDeleuzeandFlixGuattaridescribedhowKafkaslinguistic
andculturalcondition(asaJewishauthorwritinginGermanin

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WarholEnlivensPhillips
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bySarahCascone

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German)involvedtheimpossibilityofwritinginGermanandthe
impossibilityofnotwriting.Kafkassolutionwastofashiona

Top10inPainting,2012
byRaphaelRubinstein

Sotheby'sWillOffer
Picassos,Miros,Moores
atNovember
Impressionistand
ModernSale
byBrianBoucher

modeofwritingthatseemedtoeraseallliteraryprecedents,andto
createanoeuvrethatbarelysurvivedintothefuture.Facedwith
paintingsimposinghistoryandthediminishmentofthemediumby
newerartforms,recentpaintersmayhavefoundthemselvesin

byBrianBoucher

similarlyminorsituationstheprovisionalityoftheirworkisan
indexoftheimpossibilityofpaintingandtheequallypersistent
impossibilityofnotpainting.

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ExhibitionSchedule
Followingarecurrentandupcomingsoloshowsbysomeofthe
artistsdiscussed:
RaoulDeKeyser:44Watercolors,MuseuSerralves,Porto,
Mar.28May17DouglasHydeGallery,Dublin,May18June24.
"RaoulDeKeyser:Replay,Paintings19642007,"Kunstmuseum
Bonn,Aug.20Oct.18.
RaoulDeKeyser,DavidZwirner,NewYork,September2009.
JacquelineHumphries,GreeneNaftaliGallery,New
York,Apr.16May16.
AlbertOehlen,LuhringAugustine,NewYork,Apr.25May30.

RichardAldrichwillshowatBartolamigallerysArtStatements
boothatArtBasel,June1014.
ChristopherWool:PortoKln,MuseumLudwig,Cologne,
Apr.21July12(openedatMuseuSerralves,Porto,Nov.22,
2008Mar.15,2009).
MartinBarrwillhaveashowattheMuseFabreinMontpellier
inDecember2009.
KimberSmith,JamesGraham&Sons,NewYork,fall2009.
1RobertaSmith,ArtinReview,NewYorkTimes,Nov.17,2006,
p.E37.
2BarrySchwabsky,RaouldeKeyser,Artforum,Summer2004,p.
240.
3JeanCharlesVergne,Smallthingsaspiratetheworldandthey
becometheworld,inRaouldeKeyser,ClermontFerrand,FRAC
Auvergne,2008,p.15.
4"AlbertOehlentalkstoEricBanks,"Artforum,April2003,pp.
18283.
5AdrianSearle,NeverTrustaPainter,TheGuardian,Sept.25,
2001.
6QuotedinAnneUmland,JoanMir:PaintingandAntiPainting,
NewYork,MuseumofModernArt,2008,p.2.

7Ibid.,p.91.
8CatherineMillet,InterviewwithMartinBarr,inPhilip
Armstrong,LauraLisbonandStephenMelville,AsPainting:
DivisionandDisplacement,Columbus,WexnerCenterfortheArts,
2001,p.190.
9Ibid.,P.193.10HalFoster,inArtforum,April1979,p.71.
RaphaelRubinsteinisaNewYorkbasedwriterwhoteachescritical
studiesattheUniversityofHouston.

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