Pierre Soulages at Lévy Gorvy New York: A Century of Outrenoir

Pierre Soulages, aged nearly 100, presents a new series of abstract works at Lévy Gorvy in New York, marking the culmination of a chronological exhibition spanning his career from the 1950s to today. The show, titled "A Century," occupies three floors of the Upper East Side townhouse and includes paintings from American collections or previously shown in the US, reflecting Soulages' early recognition in America. He was included in landmark exhibitions at the Guggenheim (Younger European Painters, 1953) and MoMA (The New Decade, 1955). Soulages continues to work alone in his studio in southern France, applying layers of "outrenoir" (ultrablack) paint without assistants. His recent works feature satin backgrounds contrasted with glossy black brushstrokes, creating a three-dimensional effect. The exhibition also contextualizes Soulages within abstract painting's evolution between Europe and America, linking him to Abstract Expressionists like Rothko, de Kooning, and Barnett Newman, as well as contemporary artists Wade Guyton and Christopher Wool. Former French President François Hollande called Soulages the "best living artist." The show runs through October 26, 2019.