Clever, Quick, Magnetic: The Art of Witty Banter
Cecily Brown, The Art of Witty Banter, 2026. Oil on linen. 41 x 43 in. © Cecily Brown. Photo: Genevieve Hanson. Courtesy of the artist.
Overview
Clever, Quick, Magnetic: The Art of Witty Banter
September 3, 2026 - January 11, 2027Eleanor Kirkpatrick Main Gallery
Admission is always free; tickets are not required
Oklahoma Contemporary presents Clever, Quick, Magnetic: The Art of Witty Banter, an exhibition that explores how paintings can feel connected even when they appear visually distinct. The exhibition considers how artists balance deliberation with spontaneity, and how that tension gives each work its particular character. When viewed together, the paintings reveal a shared openness and curiosity, as well as a decisiveness that binds them from within.
A central question posed by the exhibition is whether a painting can possess something akin to a personality. Can a work of art seem alive in the way it guides the eye across its surface, or in how it sustains tension, energy, or calm? Approaching painting in this way offers insight into why certain works feel expressive or emotionally charged.
The exhibition also examines the relationship between intention and style. Intention refers to what the artist seeks to convey or investigate. Style is the manner in which that intention materializes in the work. What ultimately resonates is not intention alone but the dynamic relationship between intention and the act of making.
Visitors are invited to consider the decisions that shape each composition, including its marks, images, forms, and structure. Though the paintings differ in subject and appearance, they may share underlying characteristics. By looking closely, audiences are encouraged to reflect on the artistic process, what informs creative choices, and how works that appear unrelated can reveal deeper connections.
Featured artists
Marina Adams | Ross Bleckner | Joe Bradley | Cecily Brown | John Currin | Verne Dawson | Carroll Dunham | Chantel Joffe | Tamo Jugeli | Alex Katz | Rosa Loy | Bennett Miller | Albert Oehlen | Walter Price | Neo Rauch | Sterling Ruby | David Salle | Julian Schnabel | Dana Schutz | Arlene Shechet | Amy Sillman | Josh Smith | Gary Stephan | Spencer Sweeney | Henry Taylor | Charline von Heyl | James Welling | Stanley Whitney | Nicole Wittenberg | Rose Wylie
About the Curator
David Salle helped define the post-modern sensibility in painting. Solo exhibitions of his work have been held at museums and galleries worldwide, including the Whitney Museum; Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles; Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; MoMA Vienna; Menil Collection, Houston; Haus der Kunst, Munich; Castello di Rivoli; MoCA, Chicago; and the Guggenheim, Bilbao. His essays have appeared in Artforum, Art News, The Paris Review, Esquire, and The New York Times Magazine. He is a regular contributor to The New York Review of Books. A collection of his essays, HOW TO SEE: Looking, Talking, and Thinking about Art, was published by W.W. Norton in 2016.
Featured artworks
Images
- Cecily Brown, The Art of Witty Banter, 2026. Oil on linen. 41 x 43 in. © Cecily Brown. Photo: Genevieve Hanson. Courtesy of the artist.
- Portrait of David Salle. Photo by Robert Wright.
- Amy Sillman, She/They, 2021. Oil on linen. 70 × 60 in. © Amy Sillman. Photo: David Regen. Courtesy of the artist and David Zwirner.
- Joe Bradley, Angel's Trumpet, 2023-2024. Oil on canvas. 103 1/2 × 80 3/8 × 3 3/4 in. Courtesy of the artist and David Zwirner.
- Rosa Loy, Speicher, 2024. Casein on canvas. 59 1/4 × 51 1/4 in. Courtesy of the artist and Lyles & King.
- Josh Smith, How to Stop Time, 2025. Oil on linen. 84 × 72 1/8 in. © Josh Smith. Courtesy of the artist and David Zwirner.
