Untitled 2009

Jacob Kassay produced this untitled painting, one of many similar works, as a young artist in the United States. Kassay emerged into the contemporary art world at a time when some felt that the medium of painting was exhausted. His art reflects a deep self-consciousness about the traditions of painting, and seeks to question the established notions of originality and authorship. Kassay’s paintings, often monochromatic and abstract, are created through a process of layering and manipulation. The silvered surface engages with the architecture and viewers around it. In this way, they invite the viewer to question the role of art and its institutions in the modern world. To better understand Kassay’s paintings, we might look into the artistic movements that influenced him. We could also examine the social conditions that shaped his artistic production, looking to his education and the market for art at the time. The meaning of art is contingent on social and institutional context.