Artist : Blinky Palermo

Blinky Palermo: Retrospective 1964-1977 at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington D.C. looks like a show not to be missed if you're anywhere nearby. It runs through May 15th so only a few more days before it closes.

Komposition mit 8 roten Rechtecken [Composition with 8 Red Rectangles], 1964 Images: Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn. Photos: Jens Zieh.

My friend Myrna Tatar handed me the latest New York Times article by Roberta Smith as the colors and shapes reminded her of one of my works in progress. I'm drawn to Palermo's work of course because of his minimalism but also because he used whatever means necessary to make his statements. His work crosses the traditional boundaries of paint.

Blinky Palermo, Blaue Scheibe und Stab [Blue Disk and Staff], 1968 | Fabric tape on wood. Courtesy Hauser & Wirth. Image: Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn. Photo: Jens Ziehe.

After the show closes at the Hirshhorn Museum, it will be divided into two places this summer: Dia:Beacon in Beacon, N.Y., and Bard. For those of you, like me, who live too far away, there's a nice looking book to go along with the exhibit.