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De Kooning Breaks Through Willem de Kooning, 1904-1997
Red Grooms's witty portrait of Willem de Kooning celebrates the achievements of this Abstract Expressionist, whose paintings of the 1950s were a formative influence on Grooms. Replete with visual puns, the work shows de Kooning literally "breaking through" the surface of the print, suggesting the transformative nature of de Kooning's artistic contribution. Grooms's composition specifically references de Kooning's Woman and Bicycle (1952–53), one of a series of Woman paintings that integrated imagery from popular culture, such as pinup girls and advertisements, into a fine art context, bridging the divide between abstraction and figuration.
Similar dynamics animate Grooms's lithograph. The sense of playfulness, frenetic movement, and violent tearing of paper suggest the humor and energy of an animated cartoon. By combining the brushwork of action painting with the unexpected three-dimensional folding of paper, Grooms created a likeness as layered with cultural references as de Kooning's paintings.
Red Grooms, 1987 |