582 - Nicholas Krushenick (1929 – New York – 1999)

Nicholas Krushenick (1929 – New York – 1999) Untitled Acrylic on canvas. 1966. Approx. 141 x 104 cm. Signed and dated “Mar 1966” on the reverse of the canvas, and marked with a directional arrow. • An important work from the legendary Karl Ströher Collection, which forms the foundation and centerpiece of the MMK’s current holdings in Frankfurt • Created in the artist’s characteristic “Pop-Abstraction” style at its peak • The unique combination of Pop Art and abstract elements results in an energetic and memorable visual language The American artist Nicholas Krushenick was at the height of his career in the mid-1960s. He had already developed his characteristic style of “Pop-Abstraction” and was one of the hottest artists on the New York art scene at the time. His loose geometries and grid-like arrangements strongly resemble highly magnified details from cartoons. The bold color palette, formal rigor, and sheer graphic intensity of his paintings set Krushenick apart from his contemporaries. The work presented here is in every respect typical of this important period in the artist’s oeuvre: a bold pink color field is framed by white, lamella-like forms, which appear both flattened and accentuated by their striking black outlines. Krushenick juxtaposes geometric forms and intense fields of color in such a way that their combination creates an almost rhythmic effect. The use of color not only alludes to the vibrant world of consumer culture but also generates a visual dynamism that keeps his works feeling contemporary to this day. In the 1960s and 1970s, Krushenick was exhibited in many of the most influential and renowned galleries in the U.S. and Europe. His works were represented by, among others, the Galerie Sonnabend in Paris, the Galerie Beyeler in Basel, and the Pace Gallery in New York. His first European retrospective took place in 1972 at the Kestner-Gesellschaft in Hanover. Exhibition: Current Trends in Modern Art, Hessisches Landesmuseum, Darmstadt 1967, cat. no. 16 (listed there under a different title); Forms of Visual Expression 1960–1970, Karl Ströher Collection, Hessisches Landesmuseum, Darmstadt 1970, with color illustration on p. 199. Provenance: Galerie Müller, Stuttgart; Karl Ströher Collection, Darmstadt, acquired from the aforementioned in 1966; Christie’s, London, June 26, 1984, Lot 600; Private collection, Hesse. Taxation: subject to margin scheme (VAT: Margin Scheme).