Richard Artschwager!

Oct 25, 2012–Feb 3, 2013

Richard Artschwager's first solo exhibition was in 1965 at the age of forty-two at Leo Castelli Gallery. Since then his work has been shown throughout the world, and his enigmatic and diverse oeuvre has been influential, yet not thoroughly understood. This exhibition is a comprehensive review of Artschwager's remarkable creative exploration of the mediums of sculpture, painting, and drawing and the first retrospective exhibition of Artschwager's work since one organized at the Whitney in 1988.

Richard Artschwager! is organized by Jennifer Gross, Seymour H. Knox, Jr., Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, Yale University Art Gallery.

This exhibition is organized by the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, in association with the Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven.

Significant support for the Whitney's presentation is provided by the National Committee of the Whitney Museum of American Art, The Broad Art Foundation, The Andrew J. and Christine C. Hall Foundation, Allison and Warren Kanders, Norman and Melissa Selby, Alice and Tom Tisch, Mr. and Mrs. Harrison Augur, Diane and Adam E. Max, Francis H. Williams, and Ruth and William S. Ehrlich.

Artworks

Richard Artschwager (b. 1923), Description of Table, 1964. Melamine laminate on plywood, 26 1/8 × 31 7/8 × 31 7/8 in. (66.4 × 81 × 81 cm). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; gift of the Howard and Jean Lipman Foundation, Inc. 66.48. © Richard Artschwager. Photograph by Steven Sloman; © 2000 Whitney Museum of American Art, New York
Richard Artschwager (b. 1923), Construction with Indentation, 1966. Melamine laminate on plywood, 59 7/8 × 47 15/16 × 9 9/16 in. (152.1 × 121.8 × 24.3 cm). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; gift of Philip Johnson 72.32. © Richard Artschwager. Photograph by Sheldan C. Collins
Richard Artschwager (b. 1923), Portrait II, 1963. Formica on wood, 68 × 26 × 13 in. (172.7 × 66 × 33 cm). Yale University Art Gallery; promised gift of Anna Marie and Robert F. Shapiro, B.A. 1956. © Richard Artschwager
Richard Artschwager (b. 1923), Logus (Blue Logus), 1967. Wood/Formica, 35 × 45 1/2 × 48 in. (88.8 × 115.6 × 121.2 cm). Museum Ludwig, Cologne, Peter und Irene Ludwig Stiftung. © Richard Artschwager
Richard Artschwager (b. 1923), Untitled, 1962. Acrylic on canvas, 45 1/2 × 61 in. (115.6 × 154.9 cm). Collection of Mrs. David Hermelin. © Richard Artschwager. Photograph by Tim Thayer
Richard Artschwager (b. 1923), Exclamation Point (Chartreuse), 2008. Plastic bristles on a mahogany core painted with latex, 65 × 22 × 22 in. (165.1 × 55.9 × 55.9 cm). Gagosian Gallery, New York. © Richard Artschwager. Photograph by Robert McKeever
Richard Artschwager (b. 1923), Baby, 1962. Acrylic on Celotex in aluminum frame, 49 1/4 × 41 1/3 in. (125 × 105 cm). Kunstmuseum Winterthur, permanent loan from a private collection. © Richard Artschwager. Image courtesy Galerie Buchmann Basel; photograph by J. Littkeman
Richard Artschwager (b. 1923), New Housing, 1964. Liquitex on Celotex with Formica frame, 41 1/2 × 37 1/4 in. (105.4 × 94.6 cm). Private Collection. © Richard Artschwager. Photograph by Jason Mandella
Richard Artschwager (b. 1923), Destruction III, 1972. Acrylic on Celotex with metal frame, 74 × 88 in. (188 × 223.5 cm). Stefan T. Edlis Collection. © Richard Artschwager. Photograph courtesy Mary Boone Gallery, New York
Richard Artschwager (b. 1923), Destruction IV, 1972. Acrylic on Celotex with metal frame, 40 × 48 in. (101.6 × 121.9 cm). Kolodny Family Collection. © Richard Artschwager. Photograph by Jason Mandella
Richard Artschwager (b. 1923), Sitting and Not, 1992. Acrylic and Formica on Celotex with painted wood frame, 75 × 59 in. (190.5 × 149.9 cm). Collection of Harriet and Larry Weiss. © Richard Artschwager. Photograph by Adam Reich
Richard Artschwager (b. 1923), Triptych V, 1972. Liquitex on Celotex with metal frames, 81 1/2 × 140 1/4 in. (207 × 356 cm) overall. The Eli and Edythe L. Broad Collection, Los Angeles. © Richard Artschwager
Richard Artschwager (b. 1923), The White Cherokee, 1991. Acrylic and Formica on Celotex with metal frame, 57 1/2 × 89 in. (146.1 × 226.1 cm). Speyer Family Collection, New York. © Richard Artschwager
Richard Artschwager (b. 1923), In the Driver's Seat, 2008. Oil pastel on paper, 25 x 38 in. (63.5 x 96.5 cm). Gagosian Gallery, New York. © Richard Artschwager
Richard Artschwager (b. 1923), Locations, 1969. Formica on wood, and five blps made of wood, glass, Plexiglas, mirror and rubberized horsehair with Formica box, dimensions variable. Edition no. 84/90, published by Brooke Alexander Editions and Castelli Graphics. Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; purchase with funds from the Dorothea L. Leonhardt Foundation, Inc. 94.52a-f. © Richard Artschwager. Image courtesy Brooke Alexander, Inc.; photograph by James Dee
Richard Artschwager (b. 1923), Light Bulbs, 2007. Charcoal, pastel, and acrylic on handmade paper on soundboard in artist’s frame, 52 × 75 1/2 in. (132.1 × 191.8 cm). Private Collection. © Richard Artschwager. Image courtesy Gagosian Gallery; photograph by Robert McKeever
Richard Artschwager (b. 1923), Journal II, 1991. Formica and acrylic on wood,
two panels: 56 × 172 in. (142.2 × 436.9 cm) left; 80 × 51 in. (203.2 × 129.5 cm) right. Chazen Museum of Art, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Elvehjem Museum of Art General, Juli Plant Grainger, Walter J. and Cecille Hunt, John S. Lord, Cyril W. Nave, F.J. Sensenbrenner, and Earl O. Vits Endowment Funds purchase. © Richard Artschwager
Richard Artschwager (b. 1923), Untitled (Road with Trees), 2003. Charcoal on paper, 38 × 25 in. (96.5 × 63.5 cm). Collection of Gail Monaghan. © Richard Artschwager. Photograph courtesy Nolan/Eckman Gallery

Richard Artschwager
47 works in the collection
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November 15, 2012
Gallery Talk: John Yau and Jennifer Gross on Richard Artschwager!

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November 15, 2012
Gallery Talk: John Yau and Jennifer Gross on Richard Artschwager!

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Installation photography

Installation view of Richard Artschwager! (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2012 – February 3, 2013). Photograph by Bill Orcutt
Installation view of Richard Artschwager! (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2012 – February 3, 2013). Photograph by Bill Orcutt
Installation view of Richard Artschwager! (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2012 – February 3, 2013). Photograph by Bill Orcutt
Installation view of Richard Artschwager! (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2012 – February 3, 2013). Photograph by Bill Orcutt
Installation view of Richard Artschwager! (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2012 – February 3, 2013). Photograph by Bill Orcutt
Installation view of Richard Artschwager! (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2012 – February 3, 2013). Photograph by Bill Orcutt
Installation view of Richard Artschwager! (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2012 – February 3, 2013). Photograph by Bill Orcutt
Installation view of Richard Artschwager! (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2012 – February 3, 2013). Photograph by Bill Orcutt
Installation view of Richard Artschwager! (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2012 – February 3, 2013). Photograph by Bill Orcutt
Installation view of Richard Artschwager! (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2012 – February 3, 2013). Photograph by Bill Orcutt
Installation view of Richard Artschwager! (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2012 – February 3, 2013). Photograph by Bill Orcutt
Installation view of Richard Artschwager! (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2012 – February 3, 2013). Photograph by Bill Orcutt
Installation view of Richard Artschwager! (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2012 – February 3, 2013). Photograph by Bill Orcutt
Installation view of Richard Artschwager! (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2012 – February 3, 2013). Photograph by Bill Orcutt
Installation view of Richard Artschwager! (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2012 – February 3, 2013). Photograph by Bill Orcutt
Installation view of Richard Artschwager! (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2012 – February 3, 2013). Photograph by Bill Orcutt
Installation view of Richard Artschwager! (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2012 – February 3, 2013). Photograph by Bill Orcutt
Installation view of Richard Artschwager! (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2012 – February 3, 2013). Photograph by Bill Orcutt
Installation view of Richard Artschwager! (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2012 – February 3, 2013). Photograph by Bill Orcutt
Installation view of Richard Artschwager! (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2012 – February 3, 2013). Photograph by Bill Orcutt
Installation view of Richard Artschwager! (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2012 – February 3, 2013). Photograph by Bill Orcutt
Installation view of Richard Artschwager! (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2012 – February 3, 2013). Photograph by Bill Orcutt
Installation view of Richard Artschwager! (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2012 – February 3, 2013). Photograph by Bill Orcutt
Installation view of Richard Artschwager! (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2012 – February 3, 2013). Photograph by Bill Orcutt
Installation view of Richard Artschwager! (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 25, 2012 – February 3, 2013). Photograph by Bill Orcutt

Explore works from this exhibition
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In the News

"Saltz: How I Came to Embrace Richard Artschwager's Weirdness"
—New York Magazine

"An Enigma Wrapped in Formica"
—The New York Times

"The Sculptor's Apprentices"
—The Wall Street Journal

"Richard Artschwager Does More With Less"
—New York Magazine

"Pill-shaped public art is popping up all around the High Line."
—DNA Info

"The Story Behind Richard Artschwager's Whitney Survey and High Line blps"
—ArtInfo

"Furniture-like in form, Artschwager’s cheerfully-coloured yet eerily blank works became the artist’s way of exploring his interest in mixing two- and three-dimensional perceptual experiences, surprising the viewer, making them look again."
—Another Magazine

Richard Artschwager!

Artworks