Max Neumann
Bruce Silverstein Gallery - 10.25.12
Berlin-based artist Max Neumann's first solo exhibition, in New York, opened to a packed reception, at the Bruce Silverstein gallery. Neumann, who was born in Germany in 1949, has had over 150 solo exhibitions since the 1970's. This is his first in New York.
In the back room of the gallery, a series of small, found photographs with over-painted faces gave off the impression of ghouls or something undead, apropos for the Halloween season in which the opening took place.
The figures in his larger paintings were faceless and lonely, mostly in his trademark black and white, although the artist included patches of color for the first time this year. Even the bright greens and reds, however, couldn't override the overwhelming impression of solitude, freedom and emptiness in his work.
Since this was his first New York show, Neumann was in high demand for conversation at the gallery. Gallery-goers crowded him throughout the night to compliment his work, while Neumann kept a low-profile with his back against a wall. In keeping with the style of his work, the artist stood alone, but in a crowd.