Christopher Wool American, b. 1955

Christopher Wool is widely regarded as one of the preeminent and most influential American painters of his generation.

Wool became widely known in the late ’80s and ’90s for his stenciled word paintings, often with intentional breaks and awkward spacing (like “SELL THE HOUSE SELL THE CAR SELL THE KIDS”). These pieces feel both confrontational and strangely poetic — as much about language’s breakdown as its power.

Beyond the text works, his abstract pieces are about his process: silkscreened layers of his own paintings, wiped-out brushstrokes, pattern rollers used to apply decorative motifs, and aggressive acts of erasure or defacement. It’s like he’s in constant dialogue with modernist abstraction, punk minimalism, and the mechanical coldness of Pop.

Wool’s work has been exhibited extensively around the world in many solo and group exhibitions.