Exhibition Curated by David Salle Offers a Conversation in Paintings

OKLAHOMA CITY (March 17, 2026) — Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center is pleased to present Clever, Quick, Magnetic: The Art of Witty Banter, an exhibition curated by David Salle, one of the most influential figures in contemporary American art. The exhibition will be presented in the Eleanor Kirkpatrick Main Gallery and will be on view from Sept. 3, 2026, through Jan. 11, 2027.

Born in Norman, Oklahoma, Salle has maintained a profound impact on the international art world for more than four decades. While his time in Oklahoma was brief, the state holds deep pride in the way Salle's ideas and practices have shaped global cultural discourse. Inviting Salle to curate this exhibition affirms Oklahoma Contemporary’s commitment to amplifying voices of international significance while honoring meaningful regional origins.

Salle is best known for his contributions to postmodern painting, as well as for his incisive writing on art and visual culture. His essays and criticism, including his widely read book How to See: Looking, Talking, and Thinking about Art, have influenced generations of artists, curators and scholars. His curatorial practice extends this intellectual rigor into the exhibition space, treating exhibition-making as an active, exploratory form of thought rather than a fixed narrative.

Remarking on the conceptual framework for Clever, Quick, Magnetic: The Art of Witty Banter, Salle said, “The idea for this exhibition is to consider types of affinity in painting; the ratios of rigor to permission; the uses of history worn lightly, and a spirit of improvisation and openness that binds diverse works together from the inside out. Is there such a thing as ‘aesthetic personality’? Can a painting be said to have a nervous system? … Can artists of different styles — different surface attributes — have a similar relationship to their intention?”

Salle’s statement serves as both invitation and provocation, positioning wit, speed and magnetism as essential forces within the experience of looking.

Oklahoma Contemporary believes that Salle’s voice as a curator will significantly enrich the visitor experience, offering audiences an opportunity to engage with art through a lens shaped by decades of making, writing and sustained critical inquiry. The exhibition also stands as a source of inspiration for Oklahomans, affirming the lasting cultural impact of artists whose roots trace back to the state.

“Bringing this exhibition to Oklahoma Contemporary represents a culmination of long and thoughtful consideration by our Exhibitions Committee. Presenting this body of work by Oklahoma born David Salle in the state where his artistic trajectory began carries profound resonance for both our institution and our community,” said Trent Riley, Executive Director of Oklahoma Contemporary. “This exhibition affirms our commitment to situating Oklahoma within a broader global cultural dialogue by presenting artists whose influence extends internationally while honoring the creative legacies rooted here at home. It marks a significant moment for our institution and for the state, inviting audiences to engage with the work of one of Oklahoma’s most consequential and internationally recognized artists through a fresh and critically informed lens.” The exhibition will be accompanied by a robust slate of public programs, educational offerings and community engagements designed to open new pathways for understanding both David Salle’s work and contemporary painting more broadly.

By bringing this exhibition to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Contemporary continues to build space for dialogue, discovery and connection. The organization invites visitors from across the state and beyond to experience how these paintings challenge, delight and surprise, and to join in celebrating Oklahoma’s lasting impact on the international art world.

Additional details, including program schedules and related events, will be announced in the coming months. Clever, Quick, Magnetic: The Art of Witty Banter will be on view Sept. 3, 2026, through Jan. 11, 2027.

Featured Artists

Ross Bleckner | Joe Bradley | Cecily Brown | John Currin | Alex Katz | Rosa Loy | Bennett Miller | Albert Oehlen | Neo Rauch | David Salle | Julian Schnabel | Dana Schutz | Arlene Shechet | Amy Sillman | Josh Smith | Gary Stephan | Henry Taylor | Charline Von Heyl | James Welling

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.

About Oklahoma Contemporary

Oklahoma Contemporary, formed in 1989 as City Arts Center by Christian Keesee and Kirkpatrick Foundation Director Marilyn Myers, is a nonprofit organization committed to providing quality, accessible and affordable arts programming. With a mission to encourage artistic expression in all its forms through education, exhibitions and performance, Oklahoma Contemporary is committed to instilling in the public a lifetime appreciation of the arts and enthusiasm for creative practice. For more information on free exhibitions, class schedules and public programs, visit oklahomacontemporary.org.

More information can be found in the media kit at https://bit.ly/CleverQuickMagnetic. An exhibition webpage can be found at okcontemp.org/wittybanter. Past press releases and information are archived at okcontemp.org/media.