Robert Motherwell at KASMIN Norman Bluhm at HOLLIS TAGGART

James Kalm was thinking about the “BIG PICTURE” as he gallivanted around the New York art scene last weekend, and he took time to capture video of some of the huge pictures he encountered. In “Sheer Presence: Monumental Paintings by Robert Motherwell at KASMIN, viewers will see examples of the late works of one of the founders of Abstract Expressionism, and perhaps get a inkling of why the AB-Exers were perceived as profoundly American.

Then we visit Norman Bluhm: Works from the 1970s at HOLLIS TAGGART which is a serendipitous opportunity for historic and stylistic comparison. Here, your correspondent notes interesting points of similarity and contrast, a generational distinction between a member of the original Abstract Expressionist sensibility, and a stalwart of the 10th Street/Action painters group. A musical introduction is provided by Daniel. This program was recorded March 30. 2019.