Standing Withstanding (Infrared-Still); Standing Withstanding (Infrared-Capital), 2017 by Wanda Koop

Provenance:
Arsenal Contemporary, New York
Private Collection, Montreal

Exhibited:
"Standing Withstanding", Arsenal Contemporary, New York, 1 May-1 July 2018

Literature:
"Standing Withstanding" [online publication], Arsenal Contemporary, 1 May 2018, accessed 10 April 2025

Wanda Koop is a renowned contemporary Canadian artist known for her large-scale, immersive paintings that explore the intersection of nature, technology, and human perception. Based in Winnipeg, Koop is widely recognized for her innovative approach to landscape painting, often incorporating abstract and futuristic elements that challenge traditional representations of space and environment. Her work has been widely exhibited across the globe, including a recent show at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.

These striking canvases were featured in Arsenal Contemporary’s exhibition "Standing Withstanding" in 2018—the artist’s first major solo show in New York City. The press release describes the show as “a continuation of Koop’s investigation into the contemporary understanding of landscape, in particular this genre as a vehicle for addressing cultural encroachment upon and destruction of the so-called natural world. With a concentration on the interrelationship between nature and human perception, canvases capture the minimal silhouette of various skylines, abstracted through positive and negative space, as a softly optical re-visitation of these sites through the estrangement of memory.”

Here, Koop has employed her signature vibrant colour fields and minimalistic subject matter. The diptych features a bold and intense red colour palette, creating a dreamlike and almost surreal atmosphere. The left panel is nearly monochromatic, with subtle tonal shifts that evoke a glowing, atmospheric expanse. The right panel introduces a recognizable structure: a domed building, inspired by government and institutional architecture, as suggested by the title. One of Koop’s signature techniques is evident in the vertical drips of paint extending from the top edge and flanking the building, giving the impression of melting or bleeding colour. This effect adds a sense of instability, as if the landscape itself is dissolving before the viewer’s eyes.

Despite its minimalist composition, this diptych by Wanda Koop is deeply evocative, leaving the viewer with more questions than answers. The balance between simplicity and mystery is what makes Koop’s work so compelling—she strips down the subject matter while opening up endless possibilities for interpretation.