Rudolf Stingel (b. 1956)

'What makes a painting a 'Painting'? This question has yet to be answered by art historians, critics, or artists. Maybe through Rudolf Stingel's work we can find a possible answer. To paint is to act. Yet this action does not necessarily produce a painting. Most of the time, the result is an approximation of an ideal painting that exists in the mind of the painter. This endeavor increases in complexity, however, when the painter is not the artist. Regardless, what makes a painting a 'Painting' is the capacity of the artist to create either a performance that will be possible to look at forever or to create a void that will blend with the passing of time. This ability to grasp and harness time holds the keys to creating a 'Painting''.

(F. Bonami, 'Paintings of Paintings for Paintings', in Rudolf Stingel, exh. cat., Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago 2007, p. 13).