Louis Buhl & Co. is pleased to present a new Salon Highlight with Tyrrell Winston, titled Mr. Irrelevant and opening April 20, 2024. The exhibition will take over the gallery’s salon space, presenting pieces from seven different bodies of work, all of which have been rarely or never before exhibited.
Contrary to the abstract and intuitive qualities that have dominated Winston’s painting practice to date, his newest series, titled ‘Box Score,’ adopts a more graphic, formulaic and seemingly direct approach. The monochromatic paintings, often limited to no more than two colors, draw inspiration from On Kawara’s ‘Date Paintings.’ Rather than referencing a date in time, however, each piece references a specific game in professional or collegiate sports history through the presentation of letters and numbers denoting the teams and final scores. With this practice, statistics expand beyond their niche meaning to represent the immense value that numbers can withhold, specifically their ability to quantify success, in our society. While the paintings’ context is readily discernible, immediate interpretation will vary between sports enthusiasts and those who are less familiar with the referenced event, further exemplifying the multiplicity of the protean subject.
Filling the salon’s vitrines are works on paper, sketches and other ephemera that have been authenticated by PSA, the premier authentication and grading company for sports cards and autographs—Winston is the first artist to collaborate with the iconic brand in such a capacity. These works highlight overlooked materials in Winston’s studio which inform the breadth of his practice. As Winston explains, “by encapsulating everything from receipts, to sketches to smaller works, I am asking the viewer to look deeper into my practice—to consider value, intimacy of the studio, and art and sports history as it pertains to my work.” Drawing clear references to these unique objects are the artist’s ‘Magazine Works’ and ‘Noodles,’ exhibited on the surrounding walls. The ‘Noodles’ (New York Doodles), as with their preparatory sketches, alter and recontextualize an iconic symbol of New York as a materialization of the city’s significant influence on the artist’s identity. Designed as brand insignia for the New York Yankees in the early 1900s, the logo has transcended its origin to become a potent cultural symbol which resonates not only with New Yorkers and Yankees fans, but with individuals across the globe. The evolution from a mere sports emblem to a universally recognized symbol further emphasizes the influence that Winston’s pointed subject has on the daily chronicles of society.
The exhibition takes its title from the nickname attributed to the last pick in the NFL draft, Winston notes that in recent years some of these last picks have emerged to become superstars. By presenting viewers with both personal and familiar elements of sports culture, Winston's Salon Highlight invites the audience to reflect on the broader themes of competition, achievement, fandom and community.
Tyrrell Winston’s Mr. Irrelevant is on view from April 20 - May 29, 2024 at Louis Buhl & Co.
