From a distance, the vertical stripes of unmodulated color and single gradient make Andrew
Brischler’s painting seem right at home with the 1960s and 1970s’ factureless geometric
abstraction of Josef Albers and Gene Davis in this exhibition. But upon closer inspection,
Brischler has intentionally sabotaged the sense of precision found in those artists’ works. In
the manner of a bored schoolboy scrawling graffiti on a desk, he doodles graphite lines over
the painting, as well as three letter “F”s. These letters refer to the piece’s enigmatic and
alliterative title, which reads like a string of words generated through uncensored Freudian
free association. Breaking with the clarity, rationality, and purity of earlier hard-edge
abstraction, the artist has introduced unconscious, irrational, and spontaneous elements. A
contemporary renegade, Brischler wittily challenges the lofty world of abstract art. In his
work since this piece he has become even bolder about incorporating texts and words.
–When We Were Young: Rethinking Abstraction From The University At Albany Art Collections (1967-Present)