Barnett Newman: The Stations of the Viewer

October 2012 - Harry Cooper, curator and head, department of modern and contemporary art, National Gallery of Art. Prior to the exhibition opening of In the Tower: Barnett Newman on June 10, 2012, Harry Cooper discussed the 26-work installation by Barnett Newman (1905–1970) in this lecture recorded on June 4, 2012, as part of the Works in Progress series at the National Gallery of Art. Cooper describes Newman's childhood, artistic techniques, and evolution as an artist that ultimately led him to paint the 14 canvases of The Stations of the Cross, considered by many to be Newman's greatest achievement. This is the fifth show in a series installed in the Tower Gallery that focuses on developments in art since the mid-20th century. The centerpiece of the exhibition, Newman's famed Stations of the Cross, is brought to new light in the vaulting, self-contained space of the I. M. Pei–designed tower. In the Tower: Barnett Newman will be on view through February 24, 2013.