Vito Schnabel Gallery

Vito Schnabel Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition of work by artists active during the 1980s—including Laurie Anderson, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Francesco Clemente, George Condo, Keith Haring, Sherrie Levine, McDermott & McGough, Rene Ricard, David Salle, Kenny Scharf, Julian Schnabel,  and Andy Warhol.

The signature feature of ‘80s painting and sculpture was a return to more figurative motifs. Expressive, gestural works are a hallmark of the period, intersecting at their extreme end with street graffiti art. These artists, known loosely as the Neo- Expressionist movement, drew upon a variety of themes, with their work characterized by bold color, aggressive brushstrokes, and, very often, a radical or at least populist political slant.

Artists working at the time evolved from the styles of their predecessors, while experimenting with new techniques and crafting their own—from Jean-Michel Basquiat’s use of mixed media to Keith Haring and Kenny Scharf’s cartoonish figures. Both Rene Ricard and Basquiat found ways to integrate text into their work, using elements of appropriation. George Condo’s Homage to Manet , 1985, emerges from the tradition of 19th century painting, while David Salle’s Baby Madhouse , 1980, juxtaposes the figurative with abstraction. Also part of the exhibition will be Laurie Anderson’s video work Drum Dance  from Home of the Brave , 1986, which will be projected on continuous loop, adding a performative element. The exhibition explores the ways in which artists responded to the zeitgeist of the ‘80s and reacted to the cultural climate of the time.

About Vito Schnabel Gallery:

Vito Schnabel Gallery was founded in 2015 by Vito Schnabel. The inaugural exhibition, Urs Fischer: Bruno & Yoyo , featured all new work and paid homage to Bruno Bischofberger, whose gallery had occupied the space since 2009. In conjunction with the opening show, VSG presented an offsite public art installation by Sterling Ruby, entitled STOVES , in a garden across from the gallery at the Kulm Hotel. The installation reflects the gallery’s ongoing intention to curate this and other public spaces throughout

St. Moritz year-round as an extension of its programming.

Prior to opening the gallery in St. Moritz, Vito Schnabel presented exhibitions in varied locations such as Galerie Bruno Bischofberger in Zurich, Switzerland, Acquavella Galleries in New York, a cloistered garden in Venice during the Venice Biennale, photographer Richard Avedon’s former studio, and the Farley Post Office in New York, carefully matching artists’ work with unique and temporary exhibition settings. In February 2015, he curated an exhibition of Ron Gorchov’s paintings at Sotheby’s S|2 in London, and in May, he presented a group show at the historic Germania Bank Building on the Bowery, which had not been open to the public since the mid-1960s. The exhibition included works by Joe Bradley, Dan Colen, Jeff Elrod, Ron Gorchov, Mark Grotjahn, Harmony Korine, and Julian Schnabel. In addition to the St. Moritz gallery, Schnabel has an office and private exhibition space in New York City where he conducts his daily operations.