Cliche: new group show in New York explores the betrayal of originality and overuse

Inspired by Norbert Weiner's quote: "The more probable the message, the less information it gives. Cliches, for example, are less illuminating than great poems," – the exhibition features works by Theodora Allen, Lois Dodd, Sally Saul, Sarah Hughes, Ida Tursic & Wilfried Mille Piotr Uklanski, Tom Wesselmann, Genieve Figgis and many more.

With sculptures, mixed media and paintings on display, we especially love Sally Saul's "Dog With a Bone" sculpture, one of three of her artworks featured. The famous French philosopher, Gilles Deleuze, notably once said: "Cliches are always already on the canvas, and if the painter is content to transform the cliche, to deform or mutilate it, to manipulate it in every possible way, this reaction is still too intellectual, too abstract: it allows the cliche to rise again from its ashes, it leaves the painter within the milieu of the cliche, or else gives him or her no other consolation than parody."

"With this show, we hope to exploit the many facets of cliche," adds curator Bill Powers. "The self-portrait, the tribute painting, the nude, conceptual art. Any rampant fetishisation that may read as a shortcut to meaning or popularity is fair game."

Cliche runs until 28 July 2018 at the Almine Rech gallery on 39 E78th Street, New York. Find out more at alminerech.com.