American,  b. 1955

Christopher Wool, a titan of contemporary painting, has carved a unique path through the art world. Born in Chicago in 1955, his artistic journey began with studies under postwar abstract painters. However, the allure of the downtown New York scene in the late 1970s proved irresistible. He immersed himself in the city's vibrant underground film and music scene, briefly flirting with filmmaking before returning to painting with renewed focus.

Wool's early works explored figuration, but by the 1980s, a shift towards abstraction emerged. He became a pioneer in incorporating elements of text and pop culture into his paintings. His signature technique involved using stencils and rollers to create layered compositions with black text often fragmented or obscured. This interplay of chance and manipulation created a sense of ambiguity, forcing viewers to grapple with the underlying messages, if any.

Wool's work resonated with the Neo-Expressionist movement, challenging the dominance of conceptual art in the previous decade. The "Black Book" series (1989) exemplifies this perfectly, utilizing stencils and black text to create stark, layered abstractions. His exploration of text and abstraction continues to influence contemporary art, solidifying his position as a major figure.

Christopher Wool at work in his East Village studio, New York. Photographs by Eugene Richards