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Gary Stephan's 2010 Woodstock exhibition reveals unexplored potential in geometric abstraction

exhibition · 2026-04-22

The Kleinert/James Arts Center in Woodstock, New York, hosted Gary Stephan's exhibition 'Painting And' from August 7 to September 12, 2010. This showcase included a variety of abstract paintings, photographs, and videos, featuring notable pieces such as the large-scale Painting of Paintings (light corners) (2009) alongside smaller works like Untitled (2007) and Summer (2004). The arrangement of the pieces highlighted their connections and the venue's unique architectural features, showcasing Stephan's intricate acrylic textures. The exhibition invited viewers to reconsider geometric abstraction's possibilities. Since the 1990s, Stephan has been largely ignored by the New York art scene and was likened to Corot in Roger Fry's essay 'Some Questions in Esthetics.' The space's unconventional auditorium stood in stark contrast to Chelsea's galleries.

Key facts

  • Gary Stephan's exhibition 'Painting And' took place from August 7 to September 12, 2010
  • The show was held at the Kleinert/James Arts Center, 34 Tinker Street, Woodstock, New York
  • The venue is part of the Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild and features a large auditorium with a stage and central window
  • Paintings included works from 2004 to 2009, such as Painting of Paintings (light corners) (2009) and Untitled (2007)
  • The installation layout emphasized relationships between paintings and the exhibition space
  • Stephan's work references Barnett Newman's The Stations of the Cross installation at the National Gallery, Washington
  • The review compares Stephan's approach to Corot's as discussed in Roger Fry's essay 'Some Questions in Esthetics'
  • Stephan had been overlooked by the New York art world since the 1990s

Entities

Artists

  • Gary Stephan
  • Barnett Newman
  • Corot
  • Roger Fry
  • Mondrian

Institutions

  • Kleinert/James Arts Center
  • Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild
  • National Gallery, Washington
  • American Abstract Artists
  • artcritical

Locations

  • Woodstock
  • New York
  • United States
  • Washington
  • Chelsea
  • New York City

Sources