Winston Roeth Split Decision 05.09.2025 - 17.10.2025

The Galerie Christian Lethert is delighted to present Winston Roeth’s exhibition »Split Decision«, which brings together works from different periods and thus offers a wonderful insight into the work of the American painter. Coinciding with the opening at the gallery in Cologne, we are collaborating with the Fox Jensen & Fox Jensen McCrory Gallery, Sydney/Auckland to present a solo exhibition of the artist’s work at this year’s Armory Show in New York City. To mark this occasion, and in particular Winston Roeth’s 80th birthday, we are publishing a comprehensive catalog.

The work »Split Decision« (2012), which lends its title to the exhibition in Cologne, consists of four rectangular Dibond panels mounted slightly above each other. The horizontal incisions create an extraordinary tension in this large-format work. Roeth develops a subtle work of vibrant painterly density and complexity that plays with similarities and differences, with separating and connecting elements. After all, a split decision often leads to controversy because it was not reached unanimously but nevertheless brings about a decision.
Diagonally opposite hangs the 16-part work »Sonora« (2023), and even without knowing the title, which refers to the hottest desert in North America, a feeling of warmth flows through you when you look at the work. The square panels, enveloped in a wide variety of yellow tones and crossed by two intersecting golden lines, change depending on the lighting conditions and the viewer’s perspective. A fluid color experience that makes the shimmering light in the heat of the desert visible and tangible. The works not only capture moods of light but also condense themselves into energetic snapshots.
The fact that Winston Roeth’s works require time and tranquility is exemplified by the work »Time Line« (1996-2024). This time is needed not only for the repeated application of pigments in countless glazes, but also for viewing. While Winston Roeth sees endless possibilities to explore in his painting, viewers also encounter this openness in their perception of his works. These do not offer clear interpretations but rather throw us back on ourselves. They demand our full attention in order to move us, touch us, and restore our capacity for wonder.

The 150-page catalog »Winston Roeth: In the Drift« includes numerous works and installations, an introduction by Dr. Jörg Daur, deputy director of the Museum Wiesbaden, and additional contributions by Andrew Jensen, director of Fox Jensen & Fox Jensen McCrory, Lea Schäfer, curator at the Museum Reinhard Ernst, and Dr. Cornelia Kratz, Galerie Christian Lethert. Published by Alliance Publishing, Sydney/Cologne, the book is an intimate portrait of the artist Winston Roeth and his work, as well as the diverse relationships that have developed from it.