Catherine Goodman. Silent Music
Installation view, ‘Catherine Goodman. Silent Music,’ Hauser & Wirth New York, 22nd Street 30 January – 12 April 2025 © Catherine Goodman Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth Photo: Sarah Muehlbauer
New York... The exhibition opened in January, ‘Catherine Goodman. Silent Music’ presents a series of new, large-scale paintings by the British artist, where her characteristically expressive brushwork yields animated surfaces that pulse with the dynamic energy of their making. For Goodman, the studio is a place of spiritual meditation. Each painting represents an act of intimate transmutation—a way for her to turn closely held memories and personal vulnerabilities into newfound stability. As the artist trustee at the National Gallery in London, Goodman has spent hours drawing from the collection and has developed a particular affinity for Old Master paintings, which she describes as her ‘only real teacher.’ Inspired by the intensity and drama of Renaissance masterworks by artists such as Titian and Veronese, and influenced by the poignantly psychological work of such groups as the London School, Goodman’s highly personal paintings transcend her individual experience, opening outward and inviting us in.
Catherine Goodman Lago 2024 Oil on linen 180 x 210 x 4 cm / 70 7/8 x 82 5/8 x 1 5/8 in © Catherine Goodman Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth Photo: Eva Herzog
For decades Goodman has maintained a daily practice of drawing from observation. Through this she has\ constructed charged pathways between the physical world she observes and her own inner landscape. In these most recent abstractions, she often begins from landscapes and portraits that hold meaning for her. She then obscures these figurative grounds, building up evocative and densely layered compositions that invite sustained attention. ‘Lago’ (2024), a whirlwind of crimson, cobalt and lush green is one of many works named for a meaningful location or loved one whose spirit they embody. Other compositions, like the exuberant ‘Pahari Picnic’ (2024) or ‘Echo’ (2024)—monumental in scale and bursting with energy—give form to poignant memories. The substantial physical presence of these paintings, with their thick impasto and richly layered pigments, materialize intangible impressions of moments, places and people alike, as well as the psychological terrain encountered during the creative process itself. As the artist has confided to writer Jennifer Higgie, her artmaking ‘was never about problem solving. It’s about releasing something.’
Catherine Goodman Pahari Picnic 2024 Oil on linen 200 x 220 x 4 cm / 78 3/4 x 86 5/8 x 1 5/8 in © Catherine Goodman Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth Photo: Eva Herzog
Though rooted in the personal, Goodman’s oeurve uses the intimate act of painting to address the expansive macrocosm of collective experience. Her paintings act as a form of silent communication, resonating beyond the written or spoken word. Persistently forward-looking, Goodman’s latest body of work continues her tireless pursuit of art’s unique capacity to nurture connection.
Installation view, ‘Catherine Goodman. Silent Music,’ Hauser & Wirth New York, 22nd Street 30 January – 12 April 2025 © Catherine Goodman Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth Photo: Sarah Muehlbauer
In conjunction with the exhibition, Hauser & Wirth Publishers will release ‘Catherine Goodman,’ a richly illustrated monograph focused on Goodman’s new paintings. Featuring an illuminating essay by writer and curator Jennifer Higgie, alongside revealing reflections from Goodman herself, this volume sheds light on how drawing and painting are inextricably intertwined in her deeply intuitive practice. On 1 February, Hauser & Wirth Publishers will celebrate the release with a conversation between Catherine Goodman and Lynne Tillman.
Catherine Goodman Echo 2024 Oil on linen 196 x 214 x 4 cm / 77 1/8 x 84 1/4 x 1 5/8 in © Catherine Goodman Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth Photo: Eva Herzog
About the Artist
Born in London in 1961, Catherine Goodman CBE lives and works in London. Goodman studied at Camberwell School of Arts & Crafts and the Royal Academy Schools, London, where she won the Royal Academy Gold Medal in 1987. Goodman’s lifelong commitment to social justice through education forms a critical aspect of her artistic identity and approach to making. In 2000, Goodman established The Royal Drawing School with HM King Charles III to deliver subsidized and free education to thousands of young and disadvantaged people in the UK. Today, she continues in her role as Founding Artistic Director and Academic Board Member. For many years, Goodman corganized drawing classes for individuals dealing with homelessness and disabilities, and she continues to offer refuge classes to young people with mental health issues on a weekly basis. She is also the primary caregiver of her sister, Sophie, who was born with multiple health conditions and has always been a subject of Goodman’s practice. In 2014, Goodman was awarded Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (LVO) for services to The Royal Drawing School, and Commander of the Order of British Empire (CBE) in 2024 for her services to art in the UK. Goodman has served as the Artist Trustee at The National Gallery, London since 2019. Her paintings are held in significant private and public collections internationally.
Carbon savings: The artwork in this exhibition was shipped by sea from the UK. Transporting by sea versus air resulted in a carbon saving equivalent to 20 economy flights between London and New York.
The exhibition opened on 30 January – and will conclude on 12 April 2025, at the Hauser & Wirth Hauser & Wirth New York, 22nd Street location. Please visit the Hauser & Wirth Gallery site for information about upcoming exhibitions. Also, follow the gallery on Instagram, Facebook, X, and YouTube. The magazine highlighted the accompanying book with the same title, which can be found here.
