The Power of Painting

For 150 years painting has been on the edge of an abyss. First photography and film changed the representation of objects, then Cubism, Futurism, Dada, and Surrealism destroyed the classical notions of expression. Later in the 20th century, Andy Warhol claimed to be a machine and concept art indulged more in the idea than the form. Body Art, Performance, and Video Art challenged the traditional forms of portraying image. Today it seems that the internet with its picture overkill supersedes the painted tableau. Nevertheless painting survived, sometimes disappearing in the fog of terms, but always coming back in triumph. So, for example, in the 1950s with Abstract Expressionism, in the 1980s with New Painting, and also today there is a return to the classic medium.

The exhibition “The Power of Painting” at Thomas Ammann Fine Art to demonstrate this triumphal procession with some carefully selected works.