John Coplans Critiques Clement Greenberg's 1964 LACMA Exhibition 'Post-Painterly Abstraction'

In the summer 1964 issue of Artforum, critic John Coplans published a negative review of the exhibition 'Post-Painterly Abstraction' at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The show was curated by influential critic Clement Greenberg, who aimed to present a new artistic direction following Abstract Expressionism. Coplans argued that Greenberg's selection prioritized a specific stylistic formula over artistic quality, resulting in a confusing and poorly justified presentation. He contended that the exhibition included many minor or irrelevant artists while excluding significant figures, failing to clarify the supposed new movement in contemporary art.