Stanley Whitney: Twenty Twenty at LISSON GALLERY

James Kalm is out for an extended art tour through Chelsea, when he finally makes it in to capture views of the latest offerings from Stanley Whitney. “Twenty Twenty” presents recent works completed during the last year. These works seem more simplified and dramatically explicit. Whitney’s blocks of color are larger and more broadly painted. Thin washes of oil paint are in some passages layered, showing underlaying scrims of color, at other points, the color is transparent and glows like stain glass. The exquisitely intuitive color harmonies play off each other with beautiful slightly discordant notes, recalling Thelonious Monk’s Jazz (Monk and Munch is the title of a major series of smaller paintings here). This exhibition bares testament as to why Whitney is considered by many as one of New York’s master abstractionists. A musical introduction is provided by Greg Banks. This program was recorded November 6, 2021. #jameskalmreport #jameskalmroughcut #lorenmunk

[@chezceleste]

Back for another look and I like it even more...so good...so humble...so pure...it moves me.

[@nonstopdemo]

I've been to the exhibit. This is work that needs to be seen in person for it to be appreciated. His work is very very rich, beautiful. Saying it's 'just squares' is to not see it at all.

[@message_service]

Thank you ✨👍

[@jhb61249]

I hated this guys work for a long time. I now find it pleasing. Thanks Kate and Jimma!

[@tonelo7207]

Talented musician

[@vitalyyankovy6852]

Thanks! And greetings from Ukraine, Eastern Europe!

[@FlannelDeer]

Chord changes transposed into color! I think it's brilliant! 🙂🎷🎼

[@robinjones3136]

Wow! Excellent! I would luv to own one of those smaller paintings in the back room!!!! Thank you KATE!

[@albertinsinger7443]

Stanley’s paintings are great. I am glad he got this far.

[@iamahugeapple]

GREG BANKS VOICE OF AN ANGEL!!!! SO TALENTED

[@LiquidArtEnergyProductions]

Blocks of color that stare at me, this Crazy Art Superhero from PLANET "Z"! ZITCHIN! Very groovy James

[@holdmyhand9573]

Worldly ....stuff was getting me down. So it was great to come here and get some color. Thank you for bringing that my way Kate and James. Much Love to you both.

[@TD-qi2rw]

So well said and shared. So refreshing to see this master painters show.

[@kareymaurice3236]

Thanks again I needed to see these paintings. De-Pixelizing the World! TYK

[@GrandPrizeFitnesAJAY]

I love his work!

[@MikeWitmerNatureJournal]

Painthead is a good description of the way you approach looking at painting. I do wonder if those of us who come at painting or art in general in this particular way are becoming dinosaurs. Great work by this artist by the way.

[@chezceleste]

thank you Kate.

[@louhawk559]

This must be the most difficult art to produce. Amazing AF

[@mitchellreece4170]

lovely

[@rosssmirnoff6285]

These are nice

[@space.weather]

Thank you 👏 i enjoyed this

[@oliverhoffmeister309]

best content on youtube :)

[@jameskalm]

Thanks, spread the word...

[@holadonkey]

James is the best at promoting and exposing great art exhibited in NYC . brings so much joy to us art lovers . the street musical artists are also wonderful .

[@jameskalm]

Thanks @@holadonkey Stanley is a master, and Greg Banks is a real find...JK

[@superfly2449]

Like trees in a forest, all the same but not the same. Keep making trees, and you have, well, a lot of trees.

[@italogiardina8183]

Refreshing!

[@cliffdariff74]

JK... I believe Stanley is probably referring to the T. Monk..the great jazz musician, (unless you're joking about the spelling) I do enjoy Stanley's more loose lines and loose edges in his older work. that's just me.

[@jazw4649]

Remind me of Vimeo thumbnails while you are waiting for them load the real graphics

[@marcsalz6056]

It is “Monk” as in “Thelonious Monk” not “Munch” as in “Edvard Munch”. Stanley had it right.

[@jameskalm]

I thought it should be "Munk"...JK

[@marcsalz6056]

@@jameskalm A “Munk” is neither a “Munch”(painter) nor a “Monk”(jazz musician. Happy Thanksgiving. Enjoying your videos. Stay well.

[@danielkunkel3630]

@@marcsalz6056 I think you missed the humor- Munk is a well known painter also...

[@jameskalm]

@@danielkunkel3630 my little inside joke...hahaha...

[@marcsalz6056]

@@danielkunkel3630 You are right about that. Kalm is also one. Forgot the connection.

[@robsmith588]

Ho hum

[@user-xu4ks7kl6x]

ヘタウマ抽象　最高！

[@ohdandan]

i like his work but i could never repeat myself so much.

[@zissou6928]

The small differences are the best part

[@ohdandan]

@@zissou6928 Zissou you are 100% correct. In repetion and routine one can find freedom and each of his paintings have variations. It is the small and not so small differences that become so interesting and make the works feel different. I get all that. But it is still using the "blocks" and lines in each painting. It's variations, and subtle changes but not new ideas as a whole. (it doesn't have to be, i get that) I love photography and have walked the same route for years, and i look for small changes in the light, shadows, seasons, etc, in the same route. I get it. But that's photography. In the end, I truly like his work, i appreciate it, i see the differences and how they change the whole feeling of the painting. I think it wonderful! I also like to paint, and for me I look for new subjects, ideas, perspectives, shapes etc... It's not better or worse. For me, I could not imagine painting the same components of a painting over and over again, I would feel stuck. He obviously doesn't need to change ideas or whatever because he finds freedom in the variations with the same components, and why not! The world is too cluttered for too much new! I get it. Again, not better or worse.

[@chezceleste]

Good thing then that you are not him or we wouldn't have the benefit of all these subtle changes that are so engaging.

[@boogieboxmusic4331]

Nice voice on the busker.. bit of a Prince vibe .. I like Stanley Witney but forgive me for stating the obvious.. they are all the same ..

[@pollyjeanmartin2150]

Perhaps you're not looking at the paintings closely or for long enough? There is a change to the rhythm in each painting.

[@jameskalm]

@@pollyjeanmartin2150 I think you've hit on the problem of most of the negative reviews here, folks are glancing, and not taking the time to look and see the improvisation within the structure...

[@MT-2020]

IDK about quilts palette. Pass this one. WTVER ppl. said, this is subpar work.

[@revrevreviews]

These paintings don't feel like jazz. They seem more like a drum machine.

[@giovannib.4530]

I know there are a lot of subtle differences from a painting to another, and the paintings shown are really beautiful, but after a while it became so boring

[@MikeWitmerNatureJournal]

Or maybe you are the one who is boring? Just a thought.

[@chezceleste]

They are probably normally seen alone...Teslas all look the same but look pretty individual on your driveway...

[@olusha]

Squares

[@ginge82]

That's some really weak work tbh.

[@jesusmovellan]

Aburrida, visto un cuadro vistos todos.

[@rodrigoadames3122]

Repetitive: boring, boring, boring... In jazz you can find improvisation... But here there's only a maniatic regularity, a fatal previsibility. Doesn't even stand up to a comparison to Kandinsky or to the late Mondrian, with his really jazzy paintings....

[@pollyjeanmartin2150]

I can see improvisation in the binary framework he has given himself. It's in the layering of one colour over another, the depth of the paint wash, the placement of one colour next to another. I see the spontaneous moments and urgency within the gestures. But hey... we all see the world differently I guess.

[@eriknieminen]

I don't find his paintings boring per say, but I can't help but wonder how he doesn't get bored making variations on the same basic structure decade after decade. May indicate a lack of creativity or imagination.

[@chezceleste]

"Doesn't even stand up to comparison with Kandinsky or Mondrian"...wow, you set the bar pretty high...I hope Stanley takes that as a compliment, even if it's from a nobody.

[@zissou6928]

Thanks James this was great are you on instagram?

[@jameskalm]

Yeah @Zissou, search lorenj.munk