MONIQUE VAN GENDEREN
MONIQUE VAN GENDEREN
525 West 22nd Street New York NY 10011
515 West 22nd Street New York NY 10011
511 West 22nd Street New York NY 10011 520 West 21st Street New York NY 10011
A CONCEPTUAL ILLUSION
By Dr. Moran ShelegYou see a small painting. It seems innocuous enough, a picture on the wall surrounded by others just like it. You step closer to get the measure of it, to try to grasp something about its collection of colors and array of techniques. You look at it for some time. Yet the longer you look, the less yielding the surface appears, despite bearing the minute, cross-hatched lines and looping, irregular textures of canvas and paint. A er some time, the penny drops. It is not (or not exactly) a painting, but a clay cast of a stretched canvas fired in a kiln, painted, glazed, and fired again, masquerading as a painting. It is, in short, a conceptual illusion. And in being so, it is also something of a contradiction in terms that refutes the long-standing notion that paintings are not ideas.
The mischievous thoughtfulness encapsulated in this small work, the knowing nod to art history staged alongside a cheeky wink to anyone willing to take a closer look, has become a hallmark of Monique van Genderen’s way of making art. Although commi ed to her chosen practice of painting in the most serious way imaginable, there remains a playful streak to her wildly ambitious and deliberate approach. It is an approach that tarries with—even luxuriates in, and very consciously so—all the historically loaded, visually enticing, selfcontradictory, and more maligned aspects of abstract painting as they have unraveled over the last hundred years or so.
The scale of this involvement is itself directly reflected in the play between and across her works, which range from her small ceramic paintings to the colossal, 35-foot canvas murals that she has been making for the best part of two decades. While the result of a physically laborious and time-consuming process, these paintings are also involved in a mind-bending game of reference and recall, with certain motifs, such as the distinctive green “single quote” mark appearing across several canvases, culminating in the four “single
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quote” paintings seen in this exhibition. The paintings themselves bracket other canvases, as well as the entire installation. Hovering in mid-air, they seem to encapsulate the very idea of quotation itself.
Indeed, these are paintings that want to start a conversation with you in real time and that draw on the visual archive that viewers carry around in their mind’s eye to do so. This is painting as a form of evocation, as an agent for empathy, that aims to engage you in a relationship beyond the traditional role of beholder and beheld—beyond the trap of painting as both fetish and a private window onto another world. This is painting that wants to do more and be more than just painting, using its means to get to other ends.
Scale plays a key role in this, too. Since her college days, van Genderen has toed the line between painting and installation. A er graduating from the California Institute of Art in 1991, making large-scale works (that also employed nonconventional materials like vinyl) seemed a useful way to a ack the “problem” of painting as it stood at the time. But large-scale works also facilitated a bolder stance, one capable of competing with the sculptural and conceptual practices then so dominant, enabling a woman artist to take up more space both literally and metaphorically. This aspect, always underpinning van Genderen’s work, is also what gives it a sense of rebelliousness and joy that in turn takes on a political imperative through the use of traditionally gendered and denigrated modes of cra , such as ceramics, described by the artist as a democratic medium, alongside the high art form of abstraction. This is painting that believes in action over words—as both a response to and a remedy for the zeitgeist of today— but is not afraid to delve into the vagaries of action painting and all its historical iterations.
This painterly project is not only concerned with big gestures; the small plays an equally important part. Engulfing the viewer in colossal canvases also encourages the emergence of details through which an image comes together, if only to fall apart again. A visitor to her studio once said that encountering a van Genderen mural was like being underwater and on the street at the same time. This fluidity of evocation, the ease with which several opposing ideas, terrains, and feelings can be held simultaneously with minimal drama or conflict, is the lifeblood of her work and what makes it ultimately so pleasurable to experience and to be a part of. I use the term pleasurable cautiously, because this is certainly not armchair painting (à la the great masters of the twentieth century) but work that demands to be engaged,
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Gerhard Richter, Forest (5), 2005 Oil on canvas, 77 5⁄8 x 52 inches, 197.2 x 132.1 cm Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY, Gi of Warren and Mitzi Eisenberg and Leonard and Susan Feinstein, Object number 213.2006.5 © 2022 Gerhard Richter
5 navigated, and interfered with. This is painting as a conceptual illusion, which reaches into our minds through our eyes and thus reverses the age-old adage—echoed by artists from Marcel Duchamp to Gerhard Richter and beyond—that painting is the work of conceit and idiocy. Instead, it imagines what a painting that has the potential to change one’s perspective as a person, however short-lived or unexpected, might look like.
And who is to say that it can’t be a painting that is, in fact, both less and more than it appears to be?
Dr. Moran Sheleg is an art historian and writer based in London, United Kingdom. She has wri en widely on modern and contemporary painting and is currently at work on her forthcoming first monograph (The MIT Press).6
Untitled, 2022 Oil on linen
78 x 128 inches
198.1 x 304.8 cm
Untitled, 2022 Oil on linen
78 x 128 inches
198.1 x 304.8 cm
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Untitled, 2022 Oil on linen
78 x 117 inches
198.1 x 297.2 cm
10
Untitled, 2022 Oil on linen
53 x 65 inches
134.6 x 165.1 cm
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14
Untitled, 2022 Oil on linen
48 x 36 inches
121.9 x 91.4 cm
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Untitled, 2022 Oil on canvas
48 x 36 inches 121.9 x 91.4 cm
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Untitled, 2022 Oil on linen
48 x 36 inches
121.9 x 91.4 cm
Untitled, 2022 Oil on canvas
48 x 36 inches 121.9 x 91.4 cm
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Untitled, 2022 Oil on canvas
48 x 36 inches 121.9 x 91.4 cm
22
24
Untitled, 2022 Oil on linen
30 x 24 inches
76.2 x 61 cm
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Untitled, 2022 Oil on linen
30 x 24 inches
76.2 x 61 cm
28
Untitled, 2022 Oil on linen
30 x 24 inches
76.2 x 61 cm
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Untitled, 2022 Oil on linen
30 x 24 inches
76.2 x 61 cm
Untitled, 2022 Oil on linen
10 x 8 inches
25.4 x 20.3 cm
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Untitled, 2022 Oil on canvas
10 x 8 inches
25.4 x 20.3 cm
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MONIQUE VAN GENDEREN
Born in Vancouver, Canada, in 1965 Lives and works in Los Angeles, CA
EDUCATION
1991
MFA, California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, CA
1987
BA, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, CA
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2022
Miles McEnery Gallery, New York, NY
“California Painting: Fire, Air, & Water” Bernier/Eliades, Brussels, Belgium
“A er Images,” Galerie Michael Janssen, Berlin, Germany
2021
“A erimages,” Vielme er, Los Angeles, CA “Each of These Paintings Can Be Named A er a Famous Painter,” Gallery Platform, Los Angeles, CA
2020
“Paintings Are People Too,” R.B. Stevenson Gallery, La Jolla, CA
2018
Miles McEnery Gallery, New York, NY “Festsaal,” Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst, Leipzig, Germany
2017
Susanne Vielme er Los Angeles Projects, Culver City, CA TAI Modern, Santa Fe, NM
2016
Ameringer | McEnery | Yohe, New York, NY
TAI Modern, Santa Fe, NM
2015
“Manufactured Paintings,” Susanne Vielme er Los Angeles Projects, Culver City, CA
2014
Ameringer | McEnery | Yohe, New York, NY
“The Gentle Art of Making Enemies, Abstrakt Maler,” Galleri Brandstrup, Oslo, Norway TAI Modern, Santa Fe, NM
2013
Susanne Vielme er Los Angeles Projects, Culver City, CA
2012
D’Amelio Gallery, New York, NY Effearte, Milan, Italy
2011
Susanne Vielme er Los Angeles Projects, Culver City, CA Kunstverein Heilbronn, Heilbronn, Germany
“The Gentle Art of Making Enemies,” Galerie Michael Janssen, Berlin, Germany
2009
“The Library: Start This Story Over,” Pacific Design Center, Los Angeles, CA “Personal Exhibition,” The Happy Lion, Los Angeles, CA
2008
Effearte, Milan, Italy
“Dirty Water,” Galerie Michael Janssen, Berlin, Germany
2007
“New Works,” The Happy Lion, Los Angeles, CA Voges + Partner, Frankfurt am Main, Germany Galerie Nikolaus Ruzicska, Salzburg, Austria
2006
“The Sensory Foundations of Mental Life,” Savannah College of Art and Design Atlanta, Atlanta, GA
Galerie Catherine Bastide, Brussels, Belgium
“Hammer Projects: Monique van Genderen,” Hammer Museum, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Bernier/Eliades Gallery, Athens, Greece
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2005
“Within the Same Breath…” (curated by Claudine Isé), Wexner Center for the Arts, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
The Happy Lion, Los Angeles, CA Howard House, Sea le, WA 2004
“Locker Plant,” Chinati Foundation, Marfa, TX The Happy Lion, Los Angeles, CA 2003
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA 2002
“New Work,” Sandroni Rey Gallery, Venice, CA 2001
Venetia Kapernekas Gallery, New York, NY 2000
Sandroni Rey Gallery, Venice, CA 1999
Deep River Gallery, Los Angeles, CA 1996
“Standard of Living,” Amanda M. Obering Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2021
“Abstracted Vocabularies,” Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, San Diego, CA 2020
“20 Years,” Vielme er, Los Angeles, CA
2019
“The light touch,” Vielme er, Los Angeles, CA “To Start A Painting,” Kunstverein am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz, Berlin, Germany
2018
“If I go there, I won’t stay there,” ltd los angeles, Los Angeles, CA U.S. Embassy, Paramaribo, Suriname “Being Here with You/Estando aquí contigo: 42 Artists from San Diego and Tijuana,” Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, San Diego, CA Susanne Vielme er Los Angeles Projects, Culver City, CA “Belief in Giants,” Miles McEnery Gallery, New York, NY “You Are Here,” San Diego Central Library, San Diego, CA
2017
“Rita and Herbert Batliner Collection,” Albertina Museum, Vienna, Austria
2016
“Flashback and Guests,” Stalke Galleri, Kirke Saaby, Denmark
2015
“Jacques André, Jean-Pascal Flavien, Monique van Genderen, Ola Rindal, Josh Smith, Kelley Walker,” Galerie Catherine Bastide, Brussels, Belgium “Lost in a Sea of Red,” The Pit LA, Glendale, CA “Be Abstract,” Galerie am Markt, Schwäbisch Hall, Germany “Be Abstract,” Ballhaus Ost, Berlin, Germany “Stray Edge,” Guggenheim Gallery at Chapman University, Orange, CA
2014
“Ladies First!,” Schauwerk Sindelfingen, Sindelfingen, Germany “Abstrakt Maler: The Gentle Art of Making Enemies,” Galleri Brandstrup, Oslo, Norway “Capture the Rapture,” CB1 Gallery, Los Angeles, CA “Another Cats Show,” 356 S. Mission, Los Angeles, CA
2013
“High Low,” Irvine Fine Arts Center, Irvine, CA “Garden Party,” Fellows of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, CA “Painting in Place,” Los Angeles Nomadic Division at Farmers & Merchants Bank, Los Angeles, CA “Anders Kjellesvik/Monique van Genderen/J. Ariadhitya Pramuhendra,” Galerie Michael Janssen, Berlin, Germany
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2012
“Burning Colours,” Hopstreet Gallery, Brussels, Belgium
“The Venice Beach Biennial,” Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, CA
“The Planter Show,” ForYourArt, Los Angeles, CA
“Paper Does Not Blush,” Galerie Michael Janssen, Berlin, Germany
2011
“Dorothea,” Ancient & Modern, London, United Kingdom
“Works of Paper,” ACME Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
“Los Angeles Museum of Ceramic Art,” ACME Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2010
“Ambigu: Zeitgenössische Malerie zwischen Abstraktion und Narration,” Kunstmuseum St. Gallen, Switzerland Galleri Brandstrup, Oslo, Norway
“Hoehenkoller,” Pacific Design Center, Los Angeles, CA “Abstractive Measures,” Arena Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2008
“Living Flowers: Ikebana and Contemporary Art,” Japanese American National Museum, Los Angeles, CA
“Punto Linea Superficie (Dot Line Surface),” Effearte, Milan, Italy
2007
“Back to Nature,” Galerie Nikolaus Ruzicska, Salzburg, Austria
Twentieth Century Fox Studios (organized by University of California Los Angeles and Hammer Museum), Los Angeles, CA
“Fleeing the Scene,” The Happy Lion Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
“Small but Beautiful,” Gasser & Grunert Inc., New York, NY
“Sparkle Then Fade,” Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma, WA
“Modern Lovers,” Glendale Community College Art Gallery, Glendale, CA
“Group Show,” Bernier/Eliades Gallery, Athens, Greece
2006
“III Edicio del Certamen Internacional de Pinture de Castello, Museo de Bellas Artes de Castellón,” Castello de la Plana, Spain “Masters & Johnson,” Charro Negro Galeria, Guadalajara, Mexico
“Off the Shelf: New Forms in Contemporary Artists’ Books,” The Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY
“Los Angeles Art Now,” Galeri SE, Bergen, Norway “Rundumschlag,” Galerie Nikolaus Ruzicska, Salzburg, Austria
“Hotel California,” Glendale Community College Art Gallery, Glendale, CA “Strictly Painting” (presented by Galerie Michael Janssen), Dogenhaus Galerie, Leipzig, Germany and KLF-Project Space, New York, NY
2005
“Wall Paintings” (curated by Frances Colpi ), University of San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
“Strictly Painting - The Right Side of Painting,” Voges + Partner Galerie, Frankfurt am Main, Germany “Sight Lines,” Galerie Michael Janssen, Cologne, Germany
“The 48th Corcoran Biennial: Closer to Home,” Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D. C. “Monique van Genderen and Kirsten Everberg,” Le Consortium, Dijon, France
2004
“Full House” (curated by David Pagel), East Gallery, Claremont Graduate University, Claremont, CA
“The Sixth Annual Altoids Curiously Strong Collection,” New Museum, New York, NY
Consolidated Works, Sea le, WA
“So Few Opportunities, So Many Mistakes” (curated by Josh Smith), Champion Fine Art, New York, NY “Wake Up and Apologize,” Hayworth Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2003
“Small Works,” Margo Victor Presents, Los Angeles, CA
“The Greatest Album Covers That Never Were,” Track 16 Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
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“The Art of Paint,” Gallery C, Hermosa Beach, CA “Fragments,” PS Project Space, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2002
“Art on Paper,” Weatherspoon Museum of Art, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC
RAID Projects, Los Angeles, CA “Fake Paintings,” Kbond, Los Angeles, CA
2001
“Lineformcolor,” Howard House, Sea le, WA “Big Plastic,” Armory Center for the Arts, Pasadena, CA “Cross-Cuts: Seven Los Angeles Artists,” Ben Maltz Gallery, Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles, CA “Snapshot: New Art from Los Angeles,” Hammer Museum, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA ; traveled to Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami, FL “De Beaufort, Exposito, van Genderen,” Rosamund Felsen Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
“Painting Beyond Painting,” Christine Rose Gallery, New York, NY
1999
“Monique van Genderen and Margo Victor,” Deep River Gallery, Los Angeles, CA 1997
“Trimmings and Scraps,” Gavlak Projects, Los Angeles, CA “Trans Inter Post: Hybrid Spaces” (curated by Pamela Bailey), University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA “Love’s Labor’s Lost” (collaboration with John Souza and curated by Sue Spaid), SITE, Los Angeles, CA 1996
“Available Space,” Gallery A, Los Angeles, CA 1993
“Private and Public Pleasures” (curated by Lauren Lesko), School of Beauty, Los Angeles, CA
AWARDS AND RESIDENCIES
2019
Chiaro Award, Headlands Center for the Arts, Marin Headlands, CA
2018
Federal Courthouse Building Art Commission for the GSA, Arts and Architecture Program, Harrisburg, PA
2017
West Hollywood 1% for the Arts Public Art Commission, West Hollywood, CA 2006
Shortlisted for The Castellón County Council III International Painting Prize, Castellón, Spain 2004
Artist in Residence, Chinati Foundation, Marfa, TX
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SELECT COLLECTIONS
AIG SunAmerica Inc., Los Angeles, CA
Albertina Museum, Vienna, Austria
Altoids Curiously Strong Collection, Peoria, IL
Eileen Harris and Peter Norton Family Foundation, Santa Monica, CA
Institut Valencià d’Art Modern, Valencia, Spain
KB Home, Los Angeles, CA
Le Consortium, Dijon, France
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA
Minnesota Museum of American Art, St. Paul, MN
Montblanc Cu ing Edge Art Collection, Hamburg, Germany
Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, San Diego, CA
Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA
U.S. Department of State, Washington, D. C.
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Published on the occasion of the exhibition
MONIQUE VAN GENDEREN
8 December 2022 – 28 January 2023
Miles McEnery Gallery
511 West 22nd Street New York NY 10011
tel +1 212 445 0051 www.milesmcenery.com
Publication © 2022 Miles McEnery Gallery All rights reserved
Essay © 2022 Moran Sheleg
Director of Exhibitions Anastasija Jevtovic, New York, NY
Digital Initiatives Associate Sean Kennedy, New York, NY
Publications & Archival Assistant Julia Schlank, New York, NY
Photography by Christopher Burke Studio, New York, NY
ISBN: 978-1-949327-93-9
Cover: Untitled, (detail), 2022
