Kazuko Inoue: Thirty Years of Painting

KAZUKO I NOUE T H I R T Y Y E A R S O F PA I N T I N G

“I aim to achieve spirituality, intelligence, and serenity in my paintings.” — K A Z U KO

INOUE

KAZUKO I NOUE T H I R T Y Y E A R S O F PA I N T I N G SEPTEMBER 10 – OCTOBER 24, 2015

ALLAN STONE PROJECTS • NEW YORK

PREFACE S E L E C T E D F R O M T H E A L L A N S TO N E C O L L E C T I O N ,

Kazuko Inoue: Thirty Years

of Painting surveys paintings and works on paper from 1979 to 2010 that demonstrate the artist’s devoted exploration of color. From the early pulsating works of varied hues to the later monochromatic grid paintings, Inoue’s development of paint application is evident in these kaleidoscopic yet interconnected series of works.

Often using a square format and focused on the supremacy of color, Inoue nods to the masters of early modern art such as Kasimir Malevich and Henri Matisse. According to the artist, the square provides “maximum purity and lyrical sensation,” acting as a confined arena where an assortment of tones play off of one another. Some of these early works contain multiple frameworks within themselves, camouflaged by thick layers of dappled paint. The juxtaposition between the structured layout and variation of color patterns results in a visually potent body of work.

In a few paintings from the mid 1980’s and 1990’s, Inoue dissolves the grid, exploring looser diagonal brushstrokes to create overall cascades. Thicker blocks of color arrangements comingle and offer a glimpse into the artist’s study of tonal relationships. In the later paintings of the 1990’s and 2000’s, the grid composition returns, becoming the subject of this series. Nuanced exchanges are formed between subtle hues of the same color within a nine or four-grid canvas. Multiple layers of different colored squares are divided by thin canals of color that expose the underlying layers beneath the surface as well as the tactile nature of the paint. These later paintings underscore the Minimalist aspects of Inoue’s oeuvre that have been present all along.

Kazuko Inoue was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1946. She moved to the United States in the 1960s, and received her BFA and MFA from Michigan State University. A significant proponent of Inoue’s work, Allan Stone included the artist in many group exhibitions beginning in 1981 and gave her regular solo exhibitions until 2006. She has also received several solo and group exhibitions throughout the Northeast and Midwest. She is included in public and corporate collections such as the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Connecticut, the Newark Museum, New Jersey, the Mobil Oil Corporation and Bank of America. Inoue lives and works in Pennsylvania.

1

Untitled 1979–1980 / acrylic on canvas 50 x 50 inches / 127 x 127 cm

2

Untitled 1980 / acrylic on canvas 51¼ x 51¼ inches / 130.2 x 130.2 cm

3

Untitled 1983 / acrylic on canvas 50½ x 50½ inches / 128.3 x 128.3 cm

4

Untitled 1983 / acrylic on canvas 50 x 50 inches / 127 x 127 cm

5–8

Untitled c. 1980 / acrylic on paper 10 x 10 inches / 25.4 x 25.4 cm

9

Untitled (000021) 1985 / acrylic on canvas 78 x 90 inches / 198.1 x 228.6 cms

following spread 10

Untitled (diptych) 1989 / acrylic on canvas 80 x 140 inches / 203.2 x 355.6 cms

11

Untitled (00136) 1990–91 / acrylic on canvas 72 x 84¼ inches / 182.9 x 214 cm

12

Untitled (00147) 2005 / acrylic on linen 20½ x 20½ inches / 52.1 x 52.1 cm

13

Untitled (00081) 1997 / acrylic on linen 36¼ x 36¼ inches / 92.1 x 92.1 cms

14

Untitled (00104) 2003 / acrylic on linen 60Âź x 60 inches / 153 x 152.4 cm

15

Untitled (00093) 2001 / acrylic on canvas 60 x 60 inches / 152.4 x 152.4 cm

Produced on the occasion of the exhibition

KAZUKO INOUE Thirty Years of Painting September 10 – October 24, 2015

ALL AN STONE PROJECTS 535 W 22nd Street, 3 FL New York, NY, 10011 Tel: 212-987-4997 info@allanstoneprojects.com www.allanstoneprojects.com President: Dorothy Goldeen Director: Bo Joseph Gallery Associate: Shania Naderipour

Cover: Untitled (00104) (detail), 2003.

Acrylic on linen, 60¼ x 60 inches (153 x 152.4 cm).

Design: Sarah Gifford © Allan Stone Projects 2015