In ‘Pace Be Still,’ Stanley Whitney explores the poetics of space and color with the assured hand of a master who has spent a lifetime considering the planes of artistic mediums such as painting, drawing and printmaking as fields of rhythmic improvisation. The present five-color lithograph, completed in 2022, is a testament to Whitney's enduring fascination with the grid as a structural device that anchors his chromatic explorations. The lattice-like arrangement in this work is a characteristic motif, yet it is neither rigid nor confining; instead, it serves as a loose scaffold within which hues sing and resonate. The composition is an intricate dance of balance and counterbalance, where each colored square or rectangle is both an individual statement and a harmonious part of a larger, interconnected chorus.

Whitney’s handling of color in ‘Pace Be Still’ is both a celebration of pigment and a study in relational dynamics. The colors are luminous, their application showing an intuitive grasp of their visual weight and vibrational quality. His palette is not confined to the spectral constraints but rather draws from a sophisticated range that hints at both the natural world and the urban environment. The gestural texture within each color field adds a layer of depth and complexity, reminding the viewer of the artist's hand and the physicality of the painting process. This gestural quality imbues the lithograph with a vitality that belies its flat surface, as Whitney uses texture to add a tactile dimension to his abstract vocabulary.

Within the oeuvre of Stanley Whitney, ‘Pace Be Still’ emerges as a vibrant articulation of his contributions to the evolution of abstraction in contemporary art. Whitney distills his acute observations of color theory and compositional geometry to bolster a distinct and potent visual language that dialogues with the legacies of Color Field painting and lyrical abstraction. His work is a testament to the power of color as a means of communication, a vehicle for emotional and intellectual inquiry, and a foundation for a broader discourse on abstraction. Whitney's unique approach to the grid, with its inherent suggestion of both order and infinity, allows him to transcend the pictorial field and engage with the endless possibilities of abstraction. In doing so, he reaffirms the genre’s relevance and underscores its capacity for continuous reinvention.

NOTES

This artwork is numbered, signed, and dated in pencil on the lower margin, from the edition of 125.