Punctuating Space: The Prints and Multiples of Richard Artschwager

Notably working as both a sculptor and a painter, the provocative oeuvre of Richard Artschwager (1923-2013) straddles pop, minimalism, and conceptual art. Beginning in the 1960's, Artschwager radically upset conventional norms in art by anonymously inserting his signature black, oval-shaped "blp" into unexpected settings. His mysterious grisaille paintings imbue his landscapes, interiors, and portraits with a haunting, dream-like aura, while his colorful, faux-wood sculptures of everyday objects and commercial material arouse unsettling reactions that challenge the role of art. Artschwager extended his enigmatic approach to prints and multiples, completing a compelling body of over 100 editioned works. Themes of multiplicity and the dissemination of art, inherent to these mediums, are a natural fit with his artmaking. This exhibition was the first study of Artschwager's editioned work and included a series of unique etching proofs that offered a rarely seen window into the artist's creative process.

"Punctuating Space" was guest-curated by Wendy Weitman, former curator of prints at the Museum of Modern Art. The exhibition was supported by the Friends of the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center Exhibition Fund. There are works that appeared in this exhibition that were loans to the Loeb and therefore do not appear on this website.