Four Decades: Drawings and Works on Paper

John Berggruen Gallery is pleased to present Four Decades: Drawings and Works on Paper, a group exhibition that invites a new perspective on a history of drawing and painting by integrating works from both well known and emerging artists. This exhibition will open on Thursday, May 1st, and will run through Saturday, June 28th.  An opening reception will be held on May 1st, from 5:30-7:30 pm.

From Willem de Kooning's playful oil jitney to Sam Messenger's meticulously rendered "veils", Four Decades: Drawings and Works on Paper jumps around the various inspirations of the artists included to present a group of works in a fresh context.  This exhibition incorporates the work of monumental and historical artists such as Chuck Close, Willem de Kooning, Mark di Suvero, Roy Lichtenstein, and Robert Longo with dynamic new work from emerging artists such as Diana Al-Hadid and William Cordova, both New York City artists who have received major exhibitions in 2013.

Mid career artists such as Peter Doig, Spencer Finch and Julie Mehretu balance out this topographical collection of works; their inclusion points to the range of various surfaces and textures an artist can explore within the expanse of their career. Mehretu's careful drawings and di Suvero's ink tinkerings contrast in each artist's interpretation of an architectural perspectivism. Roxy Paine's light hearted drawings work to inspire simplicity of style: his drawing Study for Line, 2014 is a study for his upcoming commission for the new Central Subway Yerba Buena/Moscone Station at 4th and Clementina streets in San Francisco. Ellsworth Kelly's perennially loved flower drawings round out the show to underscore for the viewer a focus and appreciation for the artist's touch inherent in a single line. Every work in Four Decades: Drawings and Works on Paper is inflected but not weighed down by each different artist's past and procedures.