Peter Soriano's Mutable Wall Paintings at Lennon Weinberg Gallery

Peter Soriano presented new work at Lennon Weinberg in New York City from January 17 to February 23, 2013. His exhibition featured improvised wall paintings, such as Bagaduce #1 and Bagaduce #4, which employed spray paint lines and simple shapes to create schematized landscapes. These pieces, designed to be portable and mutable, drew inspiration from graffiti art, referencing its historical presence on New York subway cars and its depiction in Frank Stella's 1986 book Working Space. Soriano's approach deconstructed painting by focusing on minimal elements like diagrams and gestures, aligning with artists like Frank Stella, Elizabeth Murray, Julia Mehretu, Cy Twombly, Mel Bochner, and Sol LeWitt, who have similarly explored painting's components. The gallery's long, narrow space with natural lighting enhanced the visual impact of the works. Soriano intended the paintings to be recreated differently by others, comparing this variability to interpretations of music by Martha Argerich and Sviatoslav Richter. The art critic noted associations with Henri Matisse's late cutouts and highlighted how Soriano's method reconstructs painting through unpredictable aesthetic effects. Norman Mailer was mentioned as an admirer of graffiti, contrasting with broader art world neglect of such wild art forms.