Robert Kushner's Scriptorium Series and Wildflower Paintings Inaugurate DC Moore Gallery's Chelsea Space

DC Moore Gallery's relocation from Fifth Avenue to Chelsea in January 2011 provided a grand new space inaugurated by Robert Kushner's exhibition. The show featured six recent paintings and his extensive "Scriptorium" series, comprising hundreds of floral drawings on antique book pages. Kushner's work draws from Chinese brush painting, Japanese calligraphy, and seasonal nature observation, demonstrating his skill as a draftsman. The Scriptorium pieces, pinned simply to walls with dressmaker pins, reanimate discarded texts from sources like French Christmas poems and Noh plays. Each sheet in the series is sold separately, allowing collectors to create personal installations. The accompanying paintings present seasonal wildflowers against cerulean blue backgrounds with gold or copper leaf accents, observed from June through October. Alexandra Anderson-Spivy, author of a Kushner monograph, wrote the review. The exhibition ran from February 3 to March 12, 2011 at 525 West 22nd Street in New York City.