Art critic David Rimanelli reviews Willem de Kooning's exhibition "Endless Painting" at Gagosian's 555 West 24th Street location, curated by Cecilia Alemani, running through June 24, 2025. The show spans de Kooning's career from 1944 to his final phase, though notably omits his black-and-white oil-and-enamel paintings from the late 1940s. Rimanelli expresses ambivalence, finding the show dreary and pointless despite the high caliber of individual works, and critiques the press release's focus on fragmented body parts. Separately, Johanna Fateman reviews Cosey Fanni Tutti's exhibition at Maxwell Graham, highlighting her controversial 1970s series "Magazine Actions" (1972–80), on view through June 28, 2025.
This article matters because it offers a provocative, personal critique of a major de Kooning retrospective at a top commercial gallery, questioning how we value late works by aging or ailing artists—a debate with significant implications for the art market and critical reception. The dual review format also brings attention to Cosey Fanni Tutti's overlooked body of work, connecting her performance and photographic practice to broader conversations about feminism, pornography, and institutional critique. Together, these reviews reflect ongoing tensions between canonical figures and marginalized artists in contemporary art discourse.