The Picture Plane’s movement throughout the history of painting has been glacial. Its progress measured in centuries, defined by only a handful of artists. Pictorial space was regarded as flat and illusionistic with any attempt to turn, shift or redefine the plane met with resistance and derision. Forays into another dimension no matter what the size, were immediately labeled relief or sculpture, no longer to be considered painting.
It is my contention that the painted image is the illusion regardless of its surface. Linen or canvas lends no extra validity to the image. My first introduction to the idea of painting on non-traditional surfaces and forming a new and dual reality came in the form of Graffiti’s colorful letters and cartoons undulating across the doors and windows of a full length subway car in the 1970’s and 1980’s presenting one illusion until the car doors opened revealing the second reality, the riders inside and the cars functional interior. Reacting to this new duality, my work over the past twenty years has been a continually changing illusion/reality dynamic. I paint my imagery directly onto walls constructed of brick, louver doors, plexi-glass, car-hoods and other assorted building materials. The selections in both cases of image and surface are not random choices. I am not striving for a dominant and subordinate balance, rather an existing simultaneous “push/pull” or “illusion/reality.” Both elements should always be at the viewer’s forefront. This is not a sculpture involved with negative space. Form and the illusion become form that create multiple views both real and imagined. The narrative picture dictates the form and the construction demands how the illusion is read, whether its surface is floating above on plexi-glass or ensconced within the brick and louvers. I have chosen to use realistic images in my work in the hopes of garnering an emotional response from the viewer and ultimately fusing it with the tactile qualities of the constructed surfaces. I wish to involve all who come to peruse my work to engage in a constant dialogue back and forth between the two realities together to form a single pictorial/sculptural continuum. One should not be comfortable looking at a painting but rather be continually challenged. Most recently I have begun to further confront the viewer in the form of cutouts in the surface exposing the wall behind the piece, or one constructed of brick, stone, wiring, etc. bringing the illusion full circle back to flat. The picture plane in my work is never stationary because as one moves back and forth between the two distinct elements, the plane continually shifts.
Every generation in time has trumpeted the death of painting or has created rules for it that have been set in stone, from the Catholic Church to Clement Greenberg. When Cezanne tilted his picture plane he did so unaware he would outrage the French Academy and later be proclaimed the “Father of Modernism.” When Rothko painted his floating blocks of color he did so long before being hailed as the
first “Color Field Abstractionist.” In my work, I have no desire to be regarded as a 21st Century Mannerist. It is my considered opinion that the artist is continually learning all that he can, finding his vision over time, and setting out to express it any way possible. And if he is fortunate, he may change many of the rules along the way.
EDUCATIONS:
Pratt Institute, New York MFA, BFA
EXHIBITIONS(solo):
2015 Crary Museum, Warren, Pennsylvania
2012 FP3 Gallery, Boston, Massachusetts
Gallore Gallery, Middletown, Connecticut
2010 West Shore Gallery, Wormleysburg, Pa.
Adamar Fine Arts, Miami, Florida
2008 Washington Square Windows, New York University, NY
Palma Gallery, New Orleans, Louisiana
Rosettastone Fine Art, Juno Beach, Florida
2005 Galleria Del Corazon, Benton Harbor, Michigan
Spinnato Gallery, East Setauket, New York
2004 Adamar Fine Arts, Miami, Florida
Spinnato Gallery, East Setauket, New York
Broadway Windows, New York University, New York
Ezair Gallery, New York
2002 Marcel Scheiner Gallery, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
2000 Broadway Windows, New York University, New York
Prism Gallery, Port Jefferson, New York
621 Gallery, Tallahassee, Florida
Matrix Gallery, Sacramento, California
1999 Adamar Fine Arts, Miami, Florida
1997 Inter-Media Art Center (IMAC), Huntington, New York
Artcetera Fine Arts, Delray Beach, Florida
1996 Inter-Media Art Center (IMAC), Huntington, New York
Artcetera Fine Arts, Delray Beach, Florida
RVS Fine Arts, Southampton, New York
1995 Broadway Art Gallery, Littleton, Colorado
1994 J. Claremunt Gallery, New York
Eye of the Lizard Gallery, Vero Beach, Florida
1993 Eye of the Lizard Gallery, Vero Beach, Florida
Medici Gallery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1992 Ollantay Center for the Arts, New York
Wetherholt Galleries, Washington D.C.
1991 Illuminations Gallery, Stamford, New York
1990 Retrospective Gallery, San Diego, California
Blue Hill Cultural Center, Pearl River, New York
1989 Dorsky Gallery, New York
1988 Janice Hunt Gallery, Chicago, Illinois
Bruce Lurie Gallery, New York
Markus Gallery, Las Vegas, Nevada
1987 Hamideh Bayley Gallery, New York
1986 S.R. Rage Gallery, New York
Danville Museum of History and Art, Danville, Virginia
1985 Creative Image Gallery, Williston Park, New York
1984 Max Gallery, New York
1982 Cicchinelli Gallery, New York
1981 Cicchinelli Gallery, New York
Loonam Gallery, Bridgehampton, New York
1980-79-78 Stewart Neill Gallery, New York
1976 Lotus Gallery, New York
1970 Fairleigh Dickinson University, Teaneck, New Jersey
EXHIBITIONS(group):
2015 Art SD 15, San Diego, CA (Adamar Fine Arts)
Houston Fine Art Fair, Houston, TX (Adamar Fine Arts)
2014 Houston Fine Art Fair, Houston, TX (Adamar Fine Arts)
2013 Shy Rabbit Cont. Art, Paragosa Springs, Co. “The Art of it All”
Adamar Fine Arts, Miami, Fl. “Summer Sensations”
House Gallery, London, UK “New York-London”
Translations Gallery, Canton, Ohio “Blind Date”
Tokarska Gallery, London, UK “Cities-All Dimensions”
2012 Shy Rabbit Cont. Art, Paragosa Springs, Co. “The Art of it All”
Silver Point Studios Art Gallery, Huntington, NY
2011 Legacy Gallery, Hot Springs, Arkansas
Davey Jones Gallery, Albany, New York “Four-Person Show”
Mill Gallery, Pawtucket, Rhode Island “Four-Person Show”
2010 Wichita Center for the Arts, Kansas “National Small Oil Painting”
Visual Arts Center, Punta Gorda, Florida“NAE 2010″
2009 Art 101, Brooklyn, New York
2008 SOFA Chicago, Illinois (Adamar Fine Arts)
2006 Qbix Gallery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Rosettastone Fine Art, Juno Beach, Florida“Textures”
Galleria Del Corazon, Benton Harbor, Michigan
Gallery Z, Providence, Rhode Island
2005 Gallery Z, Providence, Rhode Island
Lopressionism Gallery, Melbourne, Florida
Rosettastone Fine Art, Juno Beach, Florida“Cutting Edge”
2004 Loring Gallery, Sheffield, Massachusetts
Rosettastone Fine Art, Juno Beach, Florida“Four-Man Show”
Spinnato Gallery, East Setauket, New York
Adamar Fine Arts, Miami, Florida“Gallery Artists”
2003 Loring Gallery, Sheffield, Massachusetts
Gallery Korea, New York“Transparency and Reflection”
Adamar Fine Arts, Miami, Florida“Gallery Artists”
2002 Loring Gallery, Sheffield, Massachusetts
Adamar Fine Arts, Miami, Florida“Gallery Artists”
Marcel Scheiner Gallery, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Kotinsky Gallery, Pompton Lakes, New Jersey
Labriola Gallery, Stamford, Connecticut
Forma Gallery, Gordonsville, Virginia
Matre Gallery, Atlanta, Georgia
Horton Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Core Gallery, New Paltz, New York “Miniatures”
2001 Loring Gallery, Sheffield, Massachusetts
Adamar Fine Arts, Miami, Florida“Gallery Artists”
Marcel Scheiner Gallery, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Core Gallery, New Paltz, New York “Miniatures”
2000 SOFA Chicago, Illinois (Adamar Fine Arts)
Whitney Art Works, Greenport, New York
Marlen Gallery, New York “Millennium Perspectives”
ShaHanna Taylor Gallery, St. Joseph’s, Michigan
Get Real Art, New York
Upstream Gallery, Dobbs Ferry, NY “Miniatures”
1999 ShaHanna Taylor Gallery, St. Joseph’s, Michigan
Get Real Art, New York
Upstream Gallery, Dobbs Ferry, NY “Miniatures”
Marlen Gallery, New York “Gallery Artists”
Times Square Hotel Gallery, New York (Marlen Gallery)
1998 Marlen Gallery, New York “Gallery Artists”
Art Expo, Javits Center, NY (Adamar Fine Arts)
Art International, Javits Center, NY (Adamar Fine Arts)
Eye of the Lizard Gallery, Vero Beach, Florida
Valencia Community College, Orlando, Fl. “Making Space”
Adamar Fine Arts, Miami, Fl. “Three-Man Show”
Palm Beach International Art Expo, Fl. (Adamar Fine Arts)
RVS Fine Art, Southampton, New York
Blue Hill Cultural Center, Pearl River, NY“The River”
1997 RVS Fine Art, Southampton, New York
Blue Hill Cultural Center, Pearl River, NY“The River”
Nese Alpan Gallery, Roslyn, New York
Doll-Anstadt Gallery, Burlington, Vermont
Chamot Gallery, Jersey City, New Jersey“Four-Man Show”
Galerie Lumiere, Savannah, Georgia
Mary Mill Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico.
SOFA Miami, Florida (Adamar Fine Arts)
Artcetera Fine Arts, Delray Beach, Florida
1996 Eye of the Lizard Gallery, Vero Beach, Florida
RVS Fine Art, Southampton, New York
Artcetera Fine Arts, Delray Beach, Florida
Adamar Fine Arts, Miami, Florida “Contemporary Realism”
1995 Eye of the Lizard Gallery, Vero Beach, Florida
Artcetera Fine Arts, Delray Beach, Florida
Ceasarea Gallery, Boca Raton, Florida at B’Nai Torah
Broadaway Art Gallery, Littleton, Colorado
1994 Broadaway Art Gallery, Littleton, Colorado
1993 Eye of the Lizard Gallery, Vero Beach, Florida
Renee Dahl Gallery, East Quogue, New York
Medici Gallery, Philadelphia Pennsylvania
1992 Francis DeMontebello Fine Arts, New York
ARTS 901 E Street, Washington D.C.
1991 Galerie Mari Hube, New York
1990 Danville Museum of History and Art, Danville, Virginia
1989 Janice Hunt Gallery, Chicago, Illinois
1987 Vorpal Gallery, New York
1984 Everson Museum, Syracuse, New York“Biennial 1984”
1983 White Columns, New York
1982 Rentschler Gallery, Bridgehampton, New York
Dyansen Gallery, New York“Four-Man Show”
1981 Stewart Neill Gallery, New York“Ten Abstract Painters”
1978 Queens Museum, New York“Annual”
Stewart Neill Gallery, New York “Works on Paper”
1977 Stewart Neill Gallery, New York “Works on Paper”
Just Above Midtown Gallery, New York “Works on Paper”
1973 Queens Museum, New York“Annual”
PUBLICATIONS:
2013 www.theplumplum.org, Issue 1, Spring 2013, “The Queens of Hearts”
2012 www.inkwellmag.com, vol.11, “Back Out On Temporary Roads”
www.fatcityreview.com, December 2012, Poetry, “Videos From The Cold”
www.inkwellmag.com, vol.9, “Looking Out on Bleeker Street”
2009 Invisible on the Periphery, Publish America, Maryland
WEB SITES:
www.adamargallery.com (click on artists)
www.art-exchange.com(click on art/artist search)
www.picassomio.com(click on artists)
www.bridgeman.co.uk(click on search)
www.lopressionism.com(click on artists)
www.mutualart.com(click on artists)