Who’s Afraid of Red, Yellow and Blue? A Homage to Barnett Newman

Nicholas Bodde, Wave II – 2024, oil and acrylic on DIBOND®, 112 x 155 cm

Nicholas Bodde, No.1688 circle – 2024, oil and acrylic on DIBOND® d. 100 cm

Nicholas Bodde, No.1689 slim vertical – 2024, oil and acrylic on DIBOND®, 125 x 7 cm

Nicholas Bodde, No.1627 slim vertical – 2023, oil and acrylic on DIBOND®, 150 x 8 cm

Nicholas Bodde, No. 1598 Vertical – 2022, Oil and acrylic on DIBOND®, 140 x 60 cm

Nicholas Bodde, No.1428 Circle – 2020, oil and acrylic on DIBOND®, d. 30 cm

Nicholas Bodde, No.1236 Slim – 2017, oil and acrylic on DIBOND®, 150 x 8 cm

Nikola Dimitrov, Blue Light 60 – 2023, HD metal print on aluminum, unique piece, 60 x 60 cm

Nikola Dimitrov, Yesterday 60 V – 2021, HD metal print on aluminium, unique piece, 60 x 60 cm

Nikola Dimitrov, Red Room 80 III – 2020, HD metal print on aluminum, 80 x 80 cm, unique piece

Nikola Dimitrov, Blue Light 60 II – 2020, HD metal print on aluminium, unique piece, 60 x 60 cm

Nikola Dimitrov, Balance 80 I – 2018, HD metal print on aluminium, unique piece, 80 x 80 cm

Nikola Dimitrov, Magenta Light 30 I – 2023, HD metal print on aluminium, 30 x 30 cm

Nikola Dimitrov, Yesterday 30 I – 2023, HD metal print on aluminium, 30 x 30 cm

Nikola Dimitrov, Blue Light 30 I – 2023, HD metal print on aluminium, 30 x 30 cm

Alfonso Fratteggiani Bianchi, Ohne Titel WVZ 0030α blu 23100 – 2024, pigment on sandstone, 27,4 x 21 cm

Alfonso Fratteggiani Bianchi, Ohne Titel WVZ 0031α Nero Zu – 2024, pigment on sandstone, 27,4 x 21 cm

Alfonso Fratteggiani Bianchi, Ohne Titel WVZ 0032α BV4-C-C – 2024, pigment on sandstone, 27,4 x 21 cm

Alfonso Fratteggiani Bianchi, Ohne Titel WVZ 0033α rosso 23290 – 2024, pigment on sandstone, 21 x 14 x 3 cm

Alfonso Fratteggiani Bianchi, Ohne Titel WVZ 0034α giallo 23380 – 2024, pigment on sandstone, 21 x 14 x 3 cm

Alfonso Fratteggiani Bianchi, Ohne Titel WVZ 0034α giallo 23380 – 2024, pigment on sandstone, 21 x 14 x 3 cm

Bim Koehler, mix it! (grey motif) – 2024, pigments, acrylic on gesso, on fabric, on wooden body, steel frame, 30 x 24 x 4,5 cm

Bim Koehler, EP-30.233 (pink) – 2023, pigments, acrylic, on chalk ground, on handmade paper, behind glass, framed, 50 x 40 cm (sheet size: 29,7 x 21 cm)

Bim Koehler, EP-30.229 (red) – 2022, pigments, acrylic, on chalk ground, on handmade paper, behind glass, framed, 50 x 40 cm (sheet size: 29,5 x 21,5 cm)

Maria Lalić, Monochrome History Painting. Red. Egyptian. Rose Madder – 2017, oil on canvas, 85 x 85 cm

Maria Lalić, Monochrome History Painting. Red. Egyptian. Rose Madder – 2017, oil on canvas, 85 x 85 cm

Maria Lalić, History Painting 31 C18/19th. Lemon Yellow – 1997, oil on canvas, 60 x 60 cm

Matt McClune, Blue Velvet – 2024, Kremer pigments, polyurethane on panel, 55 x 30 cm

Matt McClune, Small Graphic Green and Yellow – 2023, Kremer pigments, polyurethan on panel, 50 x 30 cm

Matt McClune, Small Graphic Red and Blue – 2023, Kremer pigments, polyurethan on panel, 50 x 30 cm

Harald Pompl, Red Yellow Blue #1 – 2024, resin, pigments and Alu DIBOND®, 30 x 8 x 12 cm

Harald Pompl, Red Yellow Blue #2 – 2024, resin, pigments and Alu DIBOND®, 30 x 8 x 12 cm

Harald Pompl, Trash Cube, Red Yellow Blue – 2024, resin, pigments, mirror, pedestal, 16 x 16 x 16 cm

Robert Sagerman, 12,041″ – 2010, Öl auf Leinwand, 67 x 65 cm

Robert Sagerman, „6,428“ – 2010, Öl auf Leinwand, 67 x 65 cm

Regine Schumann, colormirror red glowing after mieres – 2022, acrylic glass, fluorescent, 40 x 25 x 10 cm

Regine Schumann, colormirror red glowing after mieres – 2022, acrylic glass, fluorescent, 40 x 25 x 10 cm, black light view

Regine Schumann, color satin dark blue red cologne – 2016, acrylic glass, fluorescent, 140 x 150 x 10 cm

Regine Schumann, color satin dark blue red cologne – 2016, acrylic glass, fluorescent, 140 x 150 x 10 cm, black light view

Regine Schumann, color satin berlin deep orange – 2017, acrylic glass, fluorescent, 110 x 95 x 11 cm

Regine Schumann, color satin berlin deep orange – 2017, acrylic glass, fluorescent, 110 x 95 x 11 cm, black light view

Regine Schumann, colormirror soft double satin turquoise munich – 2023, acrylic glass, fluorescent, 18 x 14 x 6 cm, edition of 6 + 2 A.P.

Lars Strandh, Untitled (2401-02-03-04) – 2024, acrylic on canvas,110 x 180 cm, four parts

Lars Strandh, Untitled (2420) – 2024, acrylic on canvas, 50 x 50 cm

Lars Strandh, Untitled (2210) – 2022, acrylic on canvas, 50 x 50 cm

Lars Strandh, Untitled (2130) – 2021, acrylic on canvas, 50 x 50 cm

 

Who’s Afraid of Red, Yellow and Blue?
A Homage to Barnett Newman

Alfonso Fratteggiani Bianchi, Nicholas Bodde, Nikola Dimitrov,
Bim Koehler, Maria Lalić, Matt McClune, Harald Pompl,
Robert Sagerman, Regine Schumann, Lars Strandh

Preview: Thursday, Sept. 5th from 6 to 8 pm
Opening: Friday, Sept. 6th from 6 to 9 pm
Special opening hours during Open Art Munich Gallery Weekend:
Saturday, Sept. 7th and Sunday, Sept. 8th from 11 am to 6 pm

Exhibition at Galerie Renate Bender, Munich
September 6th to October 27th, 2024

Barnett Newman’s series of four paintings “Who’s Afraid of Red, Yellow and Blue” (I, II, III & IV, 1966–70) is a major work of Abstract Expressionism. The size alone of these color field paintings magnifies the effect of the primary colors – red, yellow and blue – on the viewer. The series also represents an act of liberation from an artistic dogma prevalent since the 1920s of basing artistic principles on primary colors in the manner of a Piet Mondrian, for example, which is alluded to in the humorous title.

The acquisition of the four versions of this “once-in-a century” work of art by large and important collections and museums, such as the Stedelijk Museum or the Neue Nationalgalerie Berlin, led to an uproar in the 1980s; two of the paintings were even damaged in attacks. The meanwhile iconic title, which refers to Edward Albee’s play “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” (1962), has itself provided inspiration in the past few decades for composers, film directors and visual artists.

Whether inspired by the size alone of the “big canvas,” which grew from version to version (number IV measures an impressive 274.3 × 604.5 cm) or by the primary colors, red, yellow and blue – we have invited, on the occasion of the Open Art Munich Gallery Weekend 2024, ten artists of our gallery to present a work of art for our homage to the great Barnett Newman.