Howard Buchwald doesn’t like connotation. With his latest works, the New York–based painter extends his career-long quest to create images that resist associative thinking. Eschewing the notion that art should exist in service to ideas, the artist produces what he calls “high-energy constructs”—boldly colored clusters of lines and scribbles that interlace in unpredictable ways. Visually dense, the paintings offer no point of entry but have a geography that demands roaming engagement. By keeping the eye of the viewer moving, Buchwald deflects all attempts at interpretation. The resulting visual koans are challenging, but also freeing. At Nancy Hoffman Gallery, 520 W. 27th St., New York, (212) 966-6676. Prices range from $4,500 to $35,000.
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