Mark di Suvero AVANTI! Paula Cooper Gallery

 Mark di Suvero, Paula Cooper Gallery, 2026, photo by Steven Probert Studio

 

By MICHAEL KLEIN July 13th, 2026

A master of sculpture at 92, Mark di Suvero has been presenting work worldwide since 1957, when he arrived in New York as a young artist. He became a founding member of the Park Place Group in 1962 along with sculptors Forrest Myers, Robert Grosvenor, and painter David Novros. All shared a conviction: the exploration and expansion of geometric art.

Now, some six decades later, the current solo show comprises three major works; each exemplifies aspects of di Suvero’s visual thinking: large-scale formats, balance, and intricate abstract formal compositions.

Though monumental in scale, I always felt as if his roots lay in the passion and drama of Abstract Expressionist painting, for example, the visual mechanics of a Franz Kline black and white canvas. In di Suvero’s work, there is a similar balance established between his shaped metal forms (black) and the open space around them (white). And apropos of scale, the di Suveros are never overwhelming; they always seem “the right size,” especially when presented indoors as with this show. This is very much apparent in the three large works in the show: Avanti! from the 90s and Nelly, made in 1986; both works demonstrate the making of a physical gesture translated into solid forms. Their monochromatic color adds to this strong contrast between solid and open space.

As to the aspect of balance, there is the visual balance of parts but also the technical balance built into the sculpture itself. Movement is something di Suvero has in the past built into his works, giving the sculpture a sense of being alive, a kinetic element that distinguishes the work and brings the viewer into a closer connection to the physical sculpture. Go ahead, touch me, it suggests, providing something playful and humane. Similarly, in Tables Turn’d, 2004, a stainless steel construction installed in a separate gallery; there are two large-scale discs that hang Calder-like from a horizontal support. Here, di Suvero is inventing his own kind of stabile, a combination of movement and static elements. But unlike Calder, no color is added here; instead, the character of the work is its stainless steel shine.

There is a poetry here, the translation of action, movement, and physical gesture —all verbs— into solid abstract forms —all nouns—that are then combined to create an assemblage, a unique expression of what di Suvero envisions as his sculptural ideals.

The fourth work in the exhibition, perched on a wood pedestal, is no less intriguing in its compositional integrity is Untitled, made in 2018. As if a three-dimensional drawing its again suggests the gestural method of an Abstract Expressionist painter, like de Kooning or Pollock, with its dramatic twists and turns. In contrast to the large steel works, this is a more intimate piece. The curvilinear abstract steel form sits on a straight vertical bar. And again we see how di Suvero underscores his interest in and exploration of both balance and movement in the built-in contrast between the two parts of the piece.

What this show presents, a kind of mini survey along with works on paper, is the rich and varied character of di Suvero’s oeuvre. Here we find works dating back to 1986 to a work of the 90s and finally very recent works. The vision and nature of the work remains consistent over time, while the geometric shape, form, and integrity are always powerful and ultimately elegant over these many, many years.

For the gallery, it is also a testament to a partnership between artist and dealer that has continued for many, many years. In fact, this is the 15th one-man show at the gallery.

It is high time for this artist to receive a major full-blown museum exhibition to bring his work to the general public and allow critics and art historians the opportunity to explore, discuss, and report on this sculptor’s remarkable and lengthy career. New York City, his home, should host such an event using the five boroughs as sites for grand outdoor works too.

Mark di Suvero

AVANTI!

Paula Cooper Gallery

May 2 - July 17, 2026