Protest Paintings

Together for the first time in a comprehensive exhibition, Skarstedt is delighted to present Richard Prince: Protest Paintings (1989 - 1994), the artist's sixth solo exhibition at the gallery. Devoted solely to this exceptional body of work and including paintings from across the entire series, the detailed catalogue of the Protest Paintings was published to accompany the exhibition. Featuring paintings from public and private collections, the exhibition demonstrates the breadth of Prince's creativity in this singular body of work. The range of paintings on show includes monochrome canvases with printed and handwritten jokes, patterned canvases with block text and brightly coloured abstract compositions overlaid with graffiti and drip marks. Rising to prominence in the 1980s, Richard Prince is a celebrated pioneer of a critical approach to art making. Appropriating images and text from advertising and popular culture, his photographs, sculptures and paintings explore ideas of American identity and consumerism, whilst simultaneously challenging ideas of authorship and the privileged status of the unique artwork. Prince has been the subject of solo exhibitions at leading institutions worldwide, including Serpentine Gallery, London; Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; and IVAM, Valencia amongst others.