Thomas Nozkowski's New Paintings Exhibition at Max Protetch Gallery Through December 20

Thomas Nozkowski presents new paintings at Max Protetch Gallery in New York until December 20. For three decades, Nozkowski has employed a consistent method: encountering moments, remembering them, and repeatedly repainting until visual equilibrium emerges. His works typically measure 16 x 20 inches, though recent pieces have expanded to 22 x 28 and 30 x 40 inches. Initially using oil on canvasboard, he now works with oil on linen stretched over panel. The resulting imagery blends biomorphic and geometric forms, described as a "vexed silhouette" that has evolved from central forms to architectural blob-fields. Nozkowski's paintings resist categorization as Abstract Expressionist, non-representational objects, or ironic works. Instead, they function as hermetic objects that challenge theoretical language for abstraction. His approach involves translating experience into grids, blobs, and denatured geometry, with color described as "abused." Nozkowski's work engages with painting's boundaries, akin to Jonathan Lasker and Raoul de Keyser, rather than pushing physical limits like Fabian Maccacio or Jessica Stockholder. He references Song Dynasty painters who avoided en scene painting in favor of studio translation, suggesting his paintings are "Song Dynasty on the Hudson." The exhibition invites viewers into a visual experience compared to reading Beckett, watching Raging Bull, or hearing Dylan, leaving them challenged yet enriched.