Scott Richter's 2005 Exhibition at Elizabeth Harris Gallery Features Tabletop Paintings with Invented Silicone Medium

Scott Richter's solo exhibition at Elizabeth Harris Gallery in New York from March 17 to April 16, 2005, showcased tabletop paintings that defy traditional viewing. Richter employs a quick-drying silicone medium he allegedly invented, hardening oil paint into three-dimensional forms that resist touch. Works like "Attempt to Babel #3" and "Attempt to Babel #5" feature spirals and layered masses supported by hidden paper cones, while "Redboat" reveals clumps of red paint beneath a smooth surface. "Smell of Oil" extends over table edges, activating the ground plane with oozing black pigment. Richter balances darks and lights through layered colors that do not physically blend, requiring viewers to study edges rather than underpainting. Critics have noted his focus on the painter's palette for over eight years, but the rectangular tabletops and marginal paint clumps are seen as limiting and self-conscious. The exhibition includes pieces resembling stacks of raw meat or greenbacks, with resilient surfaces that challenge perception.