Michael Goldberg – A Bridge Between the New York School and Stalke Galleri

When Stalke Galleri reopened under its new name in 1987, it did so with a striking solo exhibition by the American painter Michael Goldberg (1924–2007) – one of the last remaining members of the legendary New York School and a key figure in postwar American art. The exhibition marked both a beginning and an opening: Goldberg was the first international artist shown in the newly named gallery, and his presence paved the way for a series of exhibitions with significant artists working in conceptual and minimalist art.

Goldberg’s expressive gestures, layered color structures, and philosophical grounding in both Western metaphysics and Eastern thought resonated deeply within a European context and were met with great interest. His connections to figures like Willem de Kooning, Franz Kline, and Jackson Pollock were never a burden but rather a solid foundation on which he stood firmly, even in his later career. At Stalke Galleri, he found a platform where his works could be presented in full force – and with a second exhibition later on, the connection between Goldberg and the gallery was firmly established.

With his lifelong dedication to painting and teaching at the School of Visual Arts, Michael Goldberg was a central figure for multiple generations. His role in the history of Stalke is not merely a meeting with an international modernist, but a key chapter in the gallery’s ambition to connect the most important movements of contemporary art with a local Danish context.

Michael Goldberg, On Paper 1989, Stalke Galleri

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