Gagosian to open Major Abstract Painting show across both Mayfair galleries – To Bend the Ear of the Outer World: Conversations on contemporary abstract painting, an exhibition of new and recent works by more than forty artists from the Americas, United Kingdom, and Germany. Organized by guest curator Gary Garrels, this is Gagosian’s first exhibition to be sited across its two galleries in Mayfair, at Grosvenor Hill and Davies Street.
The expansive exhibition traces new developments in abstract painting across styles, generations, and borders. Juxtaposing a diverse range of approaches and mediums, it reflects the latest conversations around abstraction taking place between artists. In collaboration with the artists, Garrels has selected a single painting by each, with most of the works presented here for the first time. Its title derived from a line by poet Frank O’Hara, To Bend the Ear of the Outer World is the conceptual successor of Oranges and Sardines (2008–09), an exhibition of abstract painting organized by Garrels at the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, which included work by some of the same artists.
Participating artists include: Tomma Abts, Richard Aldrich, Tauba Auerbach, Frank Bowling, Mark Bradford, Cecily Brown, Vija Celmins, Matt Connors, Tomm El-Saieh, Jadé Fadojutimi, Suzan Frecon, Katharina Grosse, Mark Grotjahn, Wade Guyton, David Hammons, Mary Heilmann, Thilo Heinzmann, Pamela Helena Wilson, Jacqueline Humphries, Richard Hoblock, Suzanne Jackson, Jennie C. Jones, Brice Marden, Helen Marden, Julie Mehretu, Oscar Murillo, Albert Oehlen, Laura Owens, Nathlie Provosty, David Reed, Gerhard Richter, Amy Sillman, Pat Steir, Ryan Sullivan, Lesley Vance, Charline von Heyl, Mary Weatherford, Stanley Whitney, Terry Winters, Christopher Wool, and John Zurier.
TO BEND THE EAR OF THE OUTER WORLD: CONVERSATIONS ON CONTEMPORARY ABSTRACT PAINTING, Opening Reception: Thursday, June 1st, 6–8pm June 1st–August 26th, 2023 Gagosian 20 Grosvenor Hill and 17–19 Davies Street, London
Gagosian will publish a catalogue to accompany the exhibition that includes reproductions of the included works, an introductory essay by Garrels, and statements by the artists.
About the curator
Gary Garrels was cocurator of Vija Celmins: To Fix the Image in Memory, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (2018–19, traveled to Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, 2019; and Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 2019–20); Bruce Conner: It’s All True, Museum of Modern Art, New York (2016, traveled to San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 2016–17); and Richard Serra Drawing: A Retrospective, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (2011, traveled to San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 2011–12; and Menil Collection, Houston, 2012). At the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, he organized Eden’s Edge: Fifteen LA Artists (2007). At the Museum of Modern Art, he curated Brice Marden: A Retrospective of Paintings and Drawings (2006) and Roth Time: A Dieter Roth Retrospective (2004, co-organized with Schaulager, Basel). Additionally, he curated Sol LeWitt: A Retrospective, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (2000) and Inside Out: New Chinese Art, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (1999), among many other exhibitions.
