Maggie's Brain,
1995

Christopher Wool's paintings explore the points of intersection between signage and language, pattern and decoration. Since the late 1980s Wool has produced black-and-white text paintings consisting of single words and pointed phrases in allover compositions of stenciled block letters. Throughout his career, he has also executed paintings based on decorative motifs such as vines, flowers, and polka dots. In 1995 Wool began using a spray-gun to apply black paint in a drawing-like manner onto both paper and aluminum surfaces. Later he employed the spray-gun in conjunction with more conventional silkscreen and painting techniques. In Maggie's Brain, a silkscreened surface is over-painted with white, then silkscreened again and topped with an explosive, floral-like spray form in the center.