STANLEY WHITNEY

Drawing influence from a range of sources, including Abstract Expressionism and his African-American heritage, but hewing to none, Stanley Whitney produces abstract paintings focused on color. Whitney’s vibrant abstract paintings unlock the linear structure of the grid, imbuing it with new and unexpected cadences of color, rhythm, form, and space. Whitney draws on disparate influences ranging from the compositions of Titian and Velazquez to Minimalism, color field painting, Southern quilts, and the freewheeling jazz of Charlie Parker and Ornette Coleman. He also likens his process to the call and response flow of traditional African-American music, explaining: “I start at the top and work down. That gets into call and response. One color calls forth another. Color dictates the structure, not the other way around.” His work resides in many prestigious collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim Museum, the Palazzo Magnani, the Long Museum in Shanghai, and the Studio Museum in Harlem.