Michael Goldberg
On Paper
Stalke Galleri
Vesterbrogade 15A, Copenhagen
1989
Michael Goldberg’s second solo exhibition at Stalke Galleri in 1989 was reviewed by Øystein Hjort in Politiken, where the exhibition was positioned clearly within the second generation of American Abstract Expressionism. Hjort highlighted Goldberg’s direct and immediate painterly approach, in which paint is often applied straight from the tube and built up in layers, allowing earlier gestures to remain visible beneath the surface.
The review emphasized Goldberg’s balance between improvisation and structure. Although the works may appear free and spontaneous, the compositions are carefully constructed, often organized around horizontal forms and repetitions that provide the paintings with an internal framework. Collage elements and fragments of paper add material depth and anchor the works in a physical, almost tactile process.
Øystein Hjort described the exhibition as convincing and self-assured, pointing to Goldberg’s ability to carry forward the legacy of Abstract Expressionism on his own terms. The exhibition at Stalke was thus read as both a continuation and a renewal of the tradition, marked by energy, painterly intensity, and a strong sense of compositional control.
