Pulsing Landscapes

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The moment I enter "Paul Thek: 5 Paintings 1962-1963" at Galerie Buchholz in New York, I am met with a precise spatial arrangement: All the works in the exhibition are hung at a deliberately low level. Looking at Sicily, 1962-1963, I realize my chin is slightly turned inward, ensnared within the gravitational pull of Thek's ravine.

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In Untitled, 1963, from Thek’s “Television Analyzations” series, a close-up of a woman's mouth is agape, her neck adorned in white pearls, evoking a curious sense of desire. Elsewhere motifs of nature and the environment in Boyadale—a reference the Bøyabreen glacier that fascinated Thek during his trip to Norway—and Sicily, both produced between 1962-1963, incorporate hues of oxidized reds, asphalt grays, and mossy chartreuse that reflect seasonal changes and subtly express the cycles of life and death.

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The show marks a significant reunion of the artist’s oil paintings which have not been shown together since their 1963 debut at Galleria 88 in Rome. Originally conceived with gallerist Ted Bonin before his passing last April: Galerie Buchholz pulses with an uncanny familiarity, febrility, and spectral quality. The show delves into two pivotal points in Thek’s oeuvre, offering a glimpse into his creative exploration before his iconic “meat pieces”—wax sculptures made to resemble glistening pieces of raw flesh housed in plexiglass cases—gained prominence. One grouping is inspired by his travels through Norway; the other, entitled “Television Analyzation,” draws from Thek’s time in Italy.

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As time goes by, the artist’s oeuvre remains as fresh and visceral today as it must’ve first appeared at the time. These five paintings are profound moments of introspection and existential inquiry. With a style that defies easy categorization, Thek ushers viewers into a realm where the boundaries between time, reality, and imagination blur and reconfigure themselves.

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‍“Paul Thek: 5 Paintings 1962-1963”  is on view until March 30, 2024, at Galerie Buchholz, 17 E. 82nd St, New York, NY 10028.