conceptual abstraction at the hunter college show

this show held at the gallery at hunter college was the last stop on my trip to the city this weekend. my shoes were killing my feet but i made it to this show that was only two avenues from port authority basically out of curiosity. it was really nice to have this remind me about painting, and the reasons why I love painting. I love seeing work that makes me feel at home, something familiar and refreshing. I saw paintings by Mary Heilman, David Reed, Jonathan Lasker, Tom Nozkowski, Stephen Westfall, Peter Halley, John Zinsser, Phillip Taaffe, Rich Kalina. I love re-bonding with these paintings that I love, that made me want to paint in the first place. Also I have never seen Jonathan Lasker's work in person and it was so much more amazing than in books and on the internet.

Also another memorable show in the opposite way was Gerhard Richter's "strips" which pissed me the fuck off, which I assume is what he wants the typical painter to feel. The paintings have of course no sense of touch because they are printed and then glass is put over them. Looking at the overwhelmingly large set of colored thin stripes can easily vibrate enough to irritate your eyes and yet for some reason you cannot look away. These paintings are made for rich people to buy which is all apart of the underlying meaning. This is what painting may come to, which is frightening. I really loved the sculpture in the show, in the same way that the paintings are technical and mechanical so is this sculpture and it also showcases the paintings in different worlds.

I need to understand, but for now I can just say that I share a love hate relationship with these paintings as does the rest of the world who has seen these. 

Gracious PIC of myself~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~