Hauser & Wirth's stand at Frieze New York 2023 is dedicated to a solo presentation of work by late American abstractionist Jack Whitten (1939–2018). One of the most influential artists of his generation, Whitten is renowned for his innovative processes, applying and transfiguring paint in works equally concerned with materiality, politics and metaphysics. This highly curated selection of paintings, works on paper and sculpture not only examines Whitten's tireless technical experimentation over six decades of making, but reconsiders his use of an intentionally restrained black and white palette. Stemming from a desire to combine the formal elements of colour with their political and sociological associations, Whitten recognised that, '...getting rid of all the chroma and taking it to black and white is not just a formal exercise. I'm very much aware of the meaning of black and white in American society, which informs who I am as an African American.'
This special presentation features monochromatic works from each decade of Whitten's remarkable and ever-evolving career, chronicling his formal development as an artist and relentless material innovation. From the small ethereal 'ghost' paintings of the 1960s and works on paper made with Xerox's electrostatic printing technology in the 1970s to the tessellated acrylic paint mosaics he developed in the 1990s, Whitten's black and white compositions foreground the meditative, contemplative and spiritual essence of physical matter. This is also evidenced in his lesser-known sculptural work, which he maintained throughout his life. Whitten believed sculpture fuelled his practice and changed how he approached light, saying that 'Without a doubt, the sculpture has had more influence on my painting than anything else. The concept of light is different in a sculptor's mind than it is in a painter's...In carving you're revealing the light in reaction to external light...Through sculpture I have refactored my whole way and approach to painting.'