Ralph Coburn: Radical Inventions
October 8 - November 5, 2024
David Hall Gallery
Working across canvases, drawings, and collages between France and the United States, Ralph Coburn redefined the contours of abstract art through a substantial body of work spanning from the late 1940s to the late 1980s. In close dialogue with Ellsworth Kelly during their formative years in France, Coburn’s innovative approach deconstructed the traditional conventions of painting, dismantling its spatial logic and reimagining its interaction with the viewer. He was among the first postwar artists to question the very foundations of the medium and propose a serious rethinking of the painted canvas format. Yet, his “radical” inventions —from the Latin etymology radix (meaning “root”)— deserve renewed attention today as the artist kept his early work hidden from the world for nearly fifty years. It is now time for a critical evaluation and renewed attention of Coburn’s ideas and his art.
The full essay by Roxane Ilias can be downloaded below.
