STEVEN PARRINO AT GAGOSIAN

Opening to the public today is this group show that for the first time juxtaposes key works by New York punk artist & musician Steven Parrino (1958-2005) with European counterparts spanning two generations: John Armleder, Martin Barré, Daniel Buren, Simon Hantaï, Olivier Mosset, Michel Parmentier, and Niele Toroni. Bringing an extreme punk sensibility to bear on the history of abstraction, from the late seventies Parrino began to literally attack the canvas, piercing and tearing its surface, or twisting it off the stretcher to disrupt the conventional rectangular plane. A keen awareness of the history, semiotics, and spatial possibilities of painting, together with his allegiance to radical popular culture led Parrino to produce bold and unprecedented iterations of symbolic rupture. This daring leap imbued his paintings with a tremendous sense of objecthood and latent physicality, as well as powerful intimations of time, existence, and sublimated content. Clear visual links can be made between the work of Parrino and two generations of European artists.
Until 25 May. Tue-Sat 11am-7pm.
Gagosian Gallery, 4 rue de Ponthieu, 8th. www.gagosian.com/

13 Shattered Panels (for Joey Ramone), 2001 © Steven Parrino