Steel masters

Barnett Newman at Neue Nationalgalerie, Berlin 2012:

Richard Serra and Barnett Newman at Neue Nationalgalerie, Berlin 2012:

Alf Lechner at Neue Nationalgalerie, Berlin 2012:

Mies van der Rohe's 1968 steel structure Neue Nationalgalerie of Berlin:

Who's Afraid Of Pink, Blue And Yellow?

Curtis Amisich's latest show Scrambled; Who's Afraid Of Pink, Blue And Yellow at Peak Gallery has the idea of its name borrowed from Barnett Newman's late works.  Amisich's optically interesting works are just nearly as provocative as master Newman's.

Amisich at Peak, Toronto 2011:

Newman at MoMA, New York 2011:

Neue Nationalgalerie

Completed in 1968, Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin is Mies van der Rohe's last work.  It is considered one of the most perfect architectural statements of this great master of modern architecture.  The use of monumental steel columns supporting a cantilevered roof with a glass enclosure allows full flexibility of the interior space.  A truly great masterpiece.

Barnett Newman's equally monumental Broken Obelisk sits comfortably on the podium of NN.

With artist Frank Stella and architect Santiago Calatrava's collaborative effort, this installation was constructed and hanging under NN's vast roof when I visited there this summer:

Abstract expressionist T.O.

The AGO (Art Gallery of Ontario) is currently showing abstract expressionists' works from the MoMA.  I am not particularly crazy about the show.  I went there today mainly to see Barnett Newman.  But it was Ad Reinhardt's black painting that stole my heart.  Unfortunately, I could not take a good picture of Reinhardt's excellent piece.  Here are my other favourites.

Willem de Kooning:

Barnett Newman: