Painters on Painting: Jack Whitten

On the occasion of the exhibition ‘Jack Whitten. Speedchaser,’ we are delighted to welcome a community of artists, tutors and students for a discussion on painting in response to the work of Jack Whitten at Hauser & Wirth London.

We will be welcoming painting tutors from UK universities and their students to an informal and engaging discussion on painting. ‘Painters on Painting’ is an exploratory event where artists and tutors facilitate a conversation around painting exhibitions at Hauser & Wirth. The event aims to bring an audience of university students and young people who are interested in painting into discussions where thoughts and feelings on contemporary painting and artistic process can be expressed freely.  

Participating tutors: 

• Karolina Albricht—Artist and tutor at Turps Art School, London, UK

• Harminder Judge—Artist and visiting lecturer at various institutions in the UK and Germany  

• Joshua Uvieghara—Tutor and Acting Head of Department for Foundation, City & Guilds of London Art School

• Henry Ward—Artist and Director of Freelands Foundation, London, UK

Welcome drinks will be served at 6 pm, with the conversation starting at 6.30 pm.  

Please note that this event is designed for students only, with student ID being required upon arrival. Attendance is free, but advance registration is required. Reserve your space at hwlondonlearning@hauserwirth.com by Friday 22 November 2024. 

About Jack Whitten
American artist Jack Whitten (1939 – 2018) is celebrated for his innovative processes of applying paint to the surface of his canvases and transfiguring their material terrains. Although Whitten initially aligned with the New York NY circle of abstract expressionists active in the 1960s, his work gradually distanced from the movement's aesthetic philosophy and formal concerns, focusing more intensely on the experimental aspects of process and technique that came to define his practice.  Over the course of a six-decade career, Whitten’s work has bridged rhythms of gestural abstraction and process art, arriving at a nuanced language of painting that hovers between mechanical automation and intensely personal expression.

About ‘Jack Whitten. Speedchaser’
Focusing on Jack Whitten’s paintings and works on paper from the 1970s, this exhibition showcases a juncture in the artist’s painting career, which saw him reject the gestural brushstrokes of abstract expressionism in favor of experimental processes and materials. This includes rare works from Whitten’s landmark Greek Alphabet series (1975 – 1978), which was the focus of a dedicated exhibition at Dia Beacon, New York NY (2022 – 2023), consisting of variations of abstract, monochrome compositions and investigations into mark-making with handmade tools and techniques, including the comb, imprinting and frottage.

The exhibition is on view through Saturday 14 December 2024.

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Photography and filming will take place at this event for use on the Hauser & Wirth website, social media and in other marketing materials.