David Hammons' Controversial Abstract Paintings at L&M Arts Draw Mixed Critical Reception

David Hammons presented a solo exhibition at L&M Arts from January 26 to March 4, 2011, located at 45 East 78 Street in New York City. The show featured abstract paintings concealed beneath various coverings including plastic garage bags, tarps, and colored fabrics, with some works revealing glimpses of the underlying compositions. While The New Yorker's Goings on About Town section praised the exhibition as "marvelous, very possibly great art" and Jerry Saltz expressed enthusiasm in New York magazine, the artcritical review found the presentation "bleakly formulaic." The critic contrasted Hammons' approach with Sam Gilliam's free-hanging abstractions and Robert Rauschenberg's material explorations shown at Gagosian/Chelsea, suggesting the gallery's focus on Abstract Expressionist masterpieces made this exhibition a misstep. Hammons' previous works referenced include his defaced fur coats display at L&M Arts, the video "Kick the Bucket" (retitled "Phat Free," 1995) from the Whitney Biennial, and his 1983 performance piece "Blizaard Ball Sale." The ground floor installation included an old wooden armoire with a mirrored front facing a canvas and a doorway partially blocked by a hanging translucent tarpaulin. The reviewer argued that while Hammons remains important for addressing racial issues in the art world, this particular exhibition failed to achieve visual success.