Rebecca Ward: lighter later | Ronchini
Rebecca Ward makes all her works by herself, in her garage in Brooklyn. Some of the newer ones have been brought together in a London exhibition, which opened before midsummer, hence the title. I know this, because, clocking the obviously labour intensive process that goes in to making her works, I asked the gallerist if she had any assistants? The answer - no, but I wish she would.
The paintings - or maybe sculptures? - are made up of meticulously cut and sewed together pieces of canvas, each coloured slightly differently, which are then pulled over the wooden canvas stretchers. They share a palpable hollowness and fragility. This latest set, at Ronchini, often feature a feathery-looking bottom or side edge, like the fringe of a scarf. Looking closer I could see that these edges too are made up of minutely, precisely cut up and stuck together shards of canvas. All this is made by one person?
Rebecca Ward, ‘burgundy moon’ (2025)
The works are symphonic. Their colours and shapes club together, forming an abstract image, a flow of moods. A little Rothko, a little Sean Sculley: both master conductors of this kind of thing. Though Ward’s stitched-together fabrics are also somehow softer, more down home.
They’re also obviously products of an uncompromisingly exacting mind and artistic vision. While I wish she shared the hours of labour to product her works, I suppose Ward doesn’t want other people in her space, interfering with her obsession. Anyway, the gallerist also told me she’s sold all but one of the works on show. Understandably.
Rebecca Ward: lighter later is at Ronchini (London). 11 June - 30 September 2026