Produced on the occasion of the exhibition R. H. Quaytman: An Evening, Chapter 32 at Secession, Vienna, 17 November, 2017–28 January, 2018.

“R. H. Quaytman approaches painting as if it were poetry: when reading a poem, one notices particular words, and how each is not just that one word, but other words as well. Quaytman’s paintings, organized into chapters structured in the form of a book, have a grammar, a syntax, and a vocabulary. While the work is bounded by a rigid structure on a material level—appearing only on beveled plywood panels in ten predetermined sizes derived from the golden ratio—open-ended content creates permutations that result in an archive without end. Quaytman’s practice engages three distinct stylistic modes: photo-based silkscreens, optical patterns such as moiré and scintillating grids, and hand-painted oil works. Each chapter is developed in relation to a specific exhibition opportunity, and consequently, each work is iconographically bound to its initial site of presentation.”—Miguel Abreu Gallery, New York