Artist David Diao reflects on his long engagement with Barnett Newman's work, from his 1966 experience as an art handler installing Newman's 'Stations of the Cross' series at the Guggenheim Museum to his own paintings that reference Newman both admiringly and critically. Diao's 1992 work 'Barnett Newman: Paintings by Title & Size' lists all 118 of Newman's paintings against a red background, treating them as inventory rather than masterpieces, while later works like 'BN: Spine 2' (2013) incorporate the worn fold of a Newman catalog cover. The article, based on a studio visit, captures Diao's matter-of-fact perspective on Newman's art and his own decades-long dialogue with the Abstract Expressionist.
This matters because Diao's practice represents a significant critical engagement with a canonical figure in American art, challenging the reverential treatment of Newman's work by treating it as material for conceptual and biographical inquiry. The article highlights how an artist of Chinese heritage who moved to New York in 1955 has carved a unique position by simultaneously honoring and deconstructing art history, raising questions about authorship, permission, and the sacralization of art objects. It also underscores Diao's enduring relevance as a conceptual painter whose work continues to resonate with contemporary debates about appropriation and institutional critique.