Hauser & Wirth Los Angeles Spotlights Jack Whitten's 1980s Breakthrough in 'The Numinous'
The Downtown Los Angeles gallery of Hauser & Wirth is showcasing 'The Numinous,' featuring Jack Whitten's paintings and paper works from the 1980s. This exhibition follows the late artist's acclaimed retrospective at The Museum of Modern Art, New York, scheduled for 2025. 'The Numinous' delves into a crucial yet overlooked segment of Whitten's six-decade journey, marked by a blend of technical innovation and spiritual exploration. After a house fire in 1980 halted his work, Whitten returned with a revitalized focus, manipulating acrylic paint as a dense, flexible medium that he could cut, layer, and collage like 'a skin.' A significant moment occurred in 1983 when The Studio Museum in Harlem showcased a survey of his work from 1970–1980, curated by [organizer name omitted in source]. This exhibition emphasizes how Whitten's creations in the 1980s transformed his approach to abstraction and materiality.
Key facts
- Hauser & Wirth presents 'The Numinous,' an exhibition of Jack Whitten's 1980s paintings and works on paper, at its Downtown Los Angeles gallery.
- The exhibition follows Whitten's critically acclaimed 2025 retrospective at The Museum of Modern Art, New York.
- The show focuses on a pivotal and still underexamined period in Whitten's six-decade career.
- A 1980 house fire forced an extended pause in Whitten's practice, after which he returned with renewed urgency.
- Whitten tested acrylic paint, treating it as a dense, malleable material that could be cut, layered, and collaged like 'a skin.'
- In 1983, The Studio Museum in Harlem presented a survey of Whitten's work from 1970–1980.
- The survey was organized by [organizer name omitted in source].
- The exhibition underscores the convergence of technical innovation and spiritual inquiry in Whitten's 1980s work.
Entities
Artists
Institutions
- Hauser & Wirth
- The Museum of Modern Art
- The Studio Museum in Harlem
Locations
- Los Angeles
- United States
- New York
- Harlem