KATHERINE BERNHARDT LET’S IT RIP

Katherine Bernhardt's "GREEN", which closes today at CANADA, continues to show her fearlessly flexing her muscle and painterly prowess in unexpected ways. Bernhardt's ability to democratize and juxtapose seemingly any and all objects on the planet is simply masterful. But what might be missed by focusing on scale (with some canvases as long as 26 feet), and the myriad of images she deploys, is her evolving application of paint which continues to feel deeper and more nuanced, garnering more weight each time she comes around. 

Refreshing are the viscerally vibrant stains and colorful drips that make this show so exciting to see. In works like "Climate Change" and "Nike, Ñ, Garfield", both from 2017, the figure/ground relationship is so much more blurred, and concerned with the experience of traveling through the work, than ever before. Katherine Bernhardt is among a list of amazing women and standard bearers, some who are now getting their just due, who remind us to let it rip, and let the freak flag fly.

—Steve Rivera

02.11.18