In the late 1980s, Stingel began to gain recognition for his unique approach to painting. He introduced installations that invited interaction from the viewers, challenging the conventional roles of artist and audience. For instance, in his installations, Stingel used materials like Celotex insulation boards, covering walls with them and allowing visitors to leave their marks. This practice was notably evident in his contributions to the Venice Biennale in 2003 and his mid-career retrospective at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, and the Whitney Museum of American Art in 2007. These installations democratized the artistic process, blurring the lines between creation and participation, and questioning the notion of artistic authorship​ (Wikipedia)​. During this period, Stingel also explored the medium of painting in innovative ways. His performative painting process involved covering the floor of his studio with Styrofoam, which he then walked across in boots dipped in lacquer thinner, leaving only the footprints behind on the melting Styrofoam. These imprints were then arranged into panels, creating large-scale artworks that documented the act of creation itself. This method highlighted Stingel's interest in the physicality of painting and the transient nature of the artistic process​ (Wikipedia)​. Stingel's engagement with photography emerged as a significant aspect of his work, starting with a portrait of gallerist Paula Cooper and evolving into a series of self-portraits based on photographs by other photographers. These works, rendered in grayscale to mirror the original black-and-white photographs, depicted Stingel at various stages of life, intertwining personal history with the broader themes of memory and identity​ (Wikipedia)​. His work has been celebrated in numerous solo exhibitions and retrospectives, including a significant showing of his paintings from 1987 to 2007 at the Whitney Museum of American Art, curated by Francesco Bonami. This exhibition highlighted the evolution of Stingel's practice over two decades, showcasing his continuous exploration of painting's conceptual and material possibilities​ (Paula Cooper Gallery)​. Through these diverse practices, Rudolf Stingel has consistently explored the limits and possibilities of painting, questioning the relationship between art and its viewers, and the processes through which art is created and experienced. His contributions in the 1980s set the stage for a career that would continue to challenge and redefine the conventions of contemporary art.