Wendy White: Low Pressure

Wendy White’s practice explores and expands upon the presentation of traditional painting. Beyond her formal and material choices—often mixing unconventional materials such as denim, Dibond, mirrors, and netting—White presents her work in modes that deviate from customary painting installation. She situates her works as objects in space, often leaning paintings directly against walls and attaching items onto their surface. Crossing the boundary between painting and sculpture, White picks up the American tradition of the “shaped canvas” and molds the picture plane beyond the confines of the rectangle. 

"...EVEN WHITE’S MOST ABSTRACT WORKS EVIDENCE THEIR AFFINITY WITH THE IMPULSE TO CUSTOMIZE A READYMADE, STANDARD MODEL FOUND IN AMERICAN CAR CULTURE. IN THIS CASE, IT IS THE READYMADE FORMAT OF THE RECTANGULAR CANVAS TABLEAU THAT SHE ACCEPTS AS A BASIS FOR FURTHER STYLING, ACCESSORIZING, AND PERFORMANCE ENHANCEMENT... NOT TO MENTION THE MORE RADICAL TRANSFORMATIONS SUCH AS SWAPPING OUT PRINTED PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGERY ON NEOPRENE FOR PAINT ON CANVAS, OR TRANSFORMING THE IMAGE INTO A PLANAR SCULPTURAL OBJECT HANGING FROM THE CEILING RATHER THAN AGAINST A WALL." 

– BARRY SCHWABSKY

Characterized by a boldness and coolness that challenges classical aesthetic forms, White’s works are marked by an uncompromising stance within contemporary art. She describes her works as “retro yet futuristic, urban by nature, reactive and rebellious, but also modest, with a do-it-yourself character.” They are critical in every respect and audacious in every decision.