MoMA - de Kooning Retrospective

Nearly 200 pieces taking up MoMA’s entire sixth floor and spanning 7 decades? Man! Laziness creeps in just thinking about the vastness of the de Kooning retrospective at MoMA, but shake it off because you must see this show. Pregame with a strong espresso and a yummy pie at PizzArte (dare you to try their new deep fried pizza!). Then, take a breath and go! From the first glimpse of the first Woman you’ll be glad you’re there.

De Kooning insisted, “Art should not have to be a certain way.” That conviction translates into a massive body of work, which MoMA breaks down for you into six sections. The coolest part is having the chance to see it all together. The master continually challenged himself. He manipulated traditional materials and techniques. He layered and sanded and reworked his canvases. If you look closely you can find traces of color behind the “black and whites.” 

Seeing de Kooning’s work all together like this seems like the only way to truly appreciate its greatness. As NYMag’s Jerry Saltz said in his review, “this retrospective should permanently set the art-historical record straight on this artist.” Bottom line, there is a lot to take in. Plus, there’s a free audio tour with really interesting commentary by curatorial assistant Lauren Mahony (available for ipad/iphone, too). Thank you, MoMA, for that!

De Kooning: A Retrospective is up for the next three months, so go see it! If you can’t make it in person, click here and live vicariously. MoMA has set up a comprehensive exhibition website where you can explore the work by theme, period, method & material, or timeline. Zoom in on the bits of charcoal in the paint, the drips, the pinholes, but doing so will make you want to see it in person. Consider yourself forewarned. 

Ingredients:

Venue: MoMA - Museum of Modern Art

Artist: Willem de Kooning

Streets: 53rd St, 5th-6th Aves

Eats: PizzArte

Map: