Liza Lou's latest body of work, presented in the exhibition "FAQ," combines glass beads and oil paint on canvas to create abstract paintings that interrogate mid-century abstraction and the heroics of the painted gesture. Lou translates fluid pigment into cell-like particles of color, juxtaposing spontaneity with painstaking precision, and explores fundamental questions about painting, such as when a painting is not a painting and what constitutes a paint body. The exhibition includes works like "Stanza" (2025) and "Alliteration" (2025), and features a video directed by Mick Haggerty.
This exhibition matters because it marks a significant evolution in Lou's practice, moving from her earlier labor-intensive bead-woven works and large-scale installations to a more gestural, painterly approach that still retains her signature material. By using beads as a vehicle for unmediated personal expression, Lou challenges traditional notions of painting and materiality, offering a new experience that amplifies color and gesture. The show also reflects Lou's ongoing conceptual investigation, returning to questions that have defined her career over three decades, and positions her work within major collections like the Whitney Museum of American Art and the National Gallery of Art.