Hauser & Wirth brings a presentation exclusively of works on paper revealing the intricate processes employed by classical to contemporary artists such as Francis Picabia, Henry Moore, Louise Bourgeois, Eduardo Chillida, Geta Brătescu, Paul McCarthy, Phyllida Barlow, George Condo and Rita Ackermann.
This presentation features works on paper that display close ties with sculpture, including a drawing by Henry Moore, the most important British sculptor of the 20th century, from his highly experimental 'Ideas for Sculptures' works from the 1930s depicting preparatory sketches for subsequent sculptures. This also includes a work on paper by Spanish artist Eduardo Chillida, best known for his prominent public sculptures, from the artist’s 'Gravitación' series in which the artworks appear as though they are suspended in space through the manipulation of paper using thread. A contemporary example comes in the form of untitled: undercover; 2; 2020 by British artist Phyllida Barlow, who draws before, during and after creating her distinctive monumental sculptures, both as a means of developing a working process and to visualise ideas which are later translated into three dimensions.
Also on display are exemplary contemporary works on paper from the Hauser & Wirth family of artists. George Condo’s Appearances (2021) takes his portraiture practice to a new level, with invented characters captured in an abstract web that reveals the humanity inherent in their fractured psychological states. Rita Ackermann applies oil and china marker to create intimate incarnations of her larger Mama paintings, obscuring various pencil-drawn figures through thick veils of brightly coloured oil paint in Mama Study 21 (2020).
Alongside these contemporary works, visitors can also explore works on paper by artists of historical importance including: a detailed, large-format etching by Louise Bourgeois, which combines an array of complimentary media in a single magnetic work; a collage of cut paper on paper by Romanian artist Geta Brătescu from 2012, part of an important body of work when the artist focused predominantly on using the line as a structuring principle; and a watercolour and pencil work by Francis Picabia.