Albright-Knox Exhibits Forman Collection of Monochromatic Art

From May 6 to July 3, 2005, the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, New York, presented an exhibition of the Nathalie and Irving Forman Collection, focusing on reductive monochromatic painting and sculpture. The Formans, collectors based in New Mexico, assembled over 160 paintings and sculptures plus more than 200 works on paper, which they donated to the museum. Their collection deliberately concentrates on monochromatic works, a strategy described as both courageous and canny for defying Post-Modern trends. The exhibition showcased geographic diversity, featuring artists from California, New York, Europe, and New Mexico, without regional bias. Artists included Rudolph de Crignis, Joseph Marioni, Marcia Hafif, Phil Sims, Dieter Villinger, Peter Tollens, Joe Barnes, Roy Thurston, Florence Pierce, Alan Wayne, Alan Ebnother, John Meyer, John Beech, Robert Tiemann, Rachel Lachowicz, Rodney Carswell, Doug Ohlson, Mark Cole, and James Howell. The museum's installation employed a 'less is more' approach, providing ample space and light to enhance viewer engagement with the subtle complexities of the works. A catalogue accompanying the exhibition features an essay by Lilly Wei. The collection is noted for its high quality and the Formans' educated eye, selecting strong examples from each artist's oeuvre. The Albright-Knox's acceptance of this gift was seen as an act of defiance, given the unfashionable nature of such reductive art at the time.