Billy Sullivan's five-decade visual diary featured in seventh solo show at kaufmann repetto
kaufmann repetto presents Not So Still (1984-2026), marking Billy Sullivan's seventh solo exhibition with the gallery. Sullivan's artistic practice spans over fifty years, characterized by compulsive documentation of his surroundings through diverse media including oil paintings, drawings in pastel, watercolor, and ink, plus photographs and slideshows. Emerging from New York's vibrant cultural scene of the 1960s-1980s, Sullivan moved among influential figures like Andy Warhol and Nan Goldin, witnessing a dynamic community of artists, poets, writers, and fashion models. His work rejects hierarchical distinctions between media, capturing time as both fluid and abrupt through frenetic gestures and vibrant pigments. These "still lifes" embody restless vitality rather than stillness, paralleling life's unwieldiness through accumulative mark-making. The exhibition showcases Sullivan's diaristic approach, inviting viewers into his unique perspective where moments appear suspended yet slippery.
Key facts
- Billy Sullivan's seventh solo exhibition at kaufmann repetto is titled Not So Still (1984-2026)
- Sullivan's practice spans over five decades of diaristic recording
- He emerged from New York's cultural scene during the 1960s-1980s
- Sullivan moved in circles with Andy Warhol and Nan Goldin
- His work includes oil paintings, drawings in pastel, watercolor, ink, photographs, and slideshows
- The exhibition resists hierarchy between different media
- Sullivan's "still lifes" are characterized by frenetic gestures and vibrant pigments
- His work captures time as both fluid and abrupt
Entities
Artists
- Billy Sullivan
- Andy Warhol
- Nan Goldin
Institutions
- kaufmann repetto
Locations
- New York