The installation Monochrome Painting by Stephen Prina makes reference to the fourteen stations of the cross, assigning to each station a different monochromatic painting masterpiece from the twentieth century.
In Prina’s installation, the labels take the form of conventional museum descriptions, each including two titles: That of the station of the cross, and the title of the masterpiece with its artist. Also indicated is the collection or museum in which each of the original works is located.
The artists selected by Stephen Prina for this group exhibition include Kasimir Malevich, Alexander Rodtschenko, Władysław Strzemiński, Barnett Newman, Robert Rauschenberg, Ellsworth Kelly, Yves Klein, Piero Manzoni, Ad Reinhardt, Lucio Fontana, Brice Marden, Robert Ryman, Gerhard Richter, and Blinky Palermo.
The works were spray-painted monochromatic green at an auto body shop using conventional metallic car paint on wood (the paint, papyrus green poly, was used by Volkswagen in 1985). Each painting has the same dimensions as the original upon which it was based. Exhibited together with the paintings are the poster for the work’s first museum exhibition at the Renaissance Society of Chicago in 1989, the catalog, and the invitation card. The same color was used for all components.

Axel Haubrok

List of works Strausberger Platz

Stephen Prina
Haubrok I (Push painting), 2008

Stephen Prina
Haubrok II, 2008

Stephen Prina
Wall painting, 2008

Stephen Prina
Vinyl II Ed. 4/7 (Filmstill), 2000

Stephen Prina
untitled (Vinyl II, Filmstill), 2000

Stephen Prina
Monochrome painting I, 1988/1989
First station – Christ condemned to death
Kasimir Malevich
Suprematists Composition: White on white, 1918
Oil on canvas
The Museum of Modern Art, New York

Stephen Prina
Monochrome painting II, 1988/1989
Second station – Christ carrying the cross
Alexander Michailowitsch Rodtschenko
Pure Red Colour, 1921
Oil on canvas
location unknown

Stephen Prina
Monochrome painting III, 1988/1989
Third station – The first fall
Władysław Strzemiński
Unistic composition 8, 1931–32
Oil on canvas
Muzeum Sztuli, Lódź

Stephen Prina
Monochrome painting IV, 1988/1989
Fourth station – Christ meets Mary
Barnett Newman
Abraham, 1949
Oil on canvas
The Museum of Modern Art, New York

Stephen Prina
Monochrome painting V, 1988/1989
Fifth station – Simon helps carry the cross
Robert Rauschenberg
White Painting, 1951
Oil on canvas
Collection of the artist

Stephen Prina
Monochrome painting VI, 1988/1989
Sixth station – Veronica wipes the face of Christ
Ellsworth Kelly
Two panels: Yellow relief, 1955
Oil on canvas
Collection of the artist

Stephen Prina
Monochrome painting VII, 1988/1989
Seventh station – The second fall
Yves Klein
IKB 48 (International Klein Blue), 1956
Pigment on canvas on plywood
Moderna Museet, Stockholm

Stephen Prina
Monochrome painting VIII, 1988/1989
Eighth station – He comforts the women of Jerusalem
Piero Manzoni
Achrome, 1959
Canvas stitched in squares
Piva Turin, Turin

Stephen Prina
Monochrome painting IX, 1988/1989
Ninth station – The third fall
Ad Reinhardt
Abstract Painting, Black, 1960–66
Oil on canvas
The National Gallery of Australia, Canberra

Stephen Prina
Monochrome painting X, 1988/1989
Tenth station – He is stripped of his garments
Lucio Fontana
Spatial Conception, Expectations, 61T22, 1961
Water-based paint on canvas
Kunstmuseum Bern, Bern

Stephen Prina
Monochrome painting XI, 1988/1989
Eleventh station – The crucifixion
Brice Marden
The Dylan Painting, 1966
Oil and wax on canvas
Bykert Gallery, New York

Stephen Prina
Monochrome painting XII, 1988/1989
Twelfth station – The death of Christ
Robert Ryman
Standard, No. 1, 1967
Enamel on steel
Panza Collection, Varese

Stephen Prina
Monochrome painting XIII, 1988/1989
Thirteenth station – The deposition
Gerhard Richter
Grey, 1972
Oil on cotton
Städtisches Kunstmuseum, Bonn

Stephen Prina
Monochrome painting XIV, 1988/1989
Fourteenth station – The Entombment
Blinky Palermo (Peter Heisterkamp)
untitled, 1973
Red lead paint on steel plate
Barbara Nüsse, Hamburg

Stephen Prina
A posteriori prototype average size, 1994

List of works Kino Arsenal

Stephen Prina
Vinyl II, 2000

Stephen Prina
The way he always wanted it II, 2008
courtesy the artist and Galerie Gisela Capitain, Cologne