‘Abstracts’ at Gallery 90

Like a prism that reconfigures light and color, abstraction expresses an artist’s translation of external and internal reality and gives it a totally new visual expression.  Often spontaneous and playful, sometimes spare and almost primal in its simplicity, emphasizing mark making as distinctive as a signature, abstract art offers viewers a renewed sense of childlike wonder and excitement. The artists currently on view at Gallery 90 are representative of this highly individualistic approach.

George Schulman’s childhood desire for self-expression led him to copy what he saw in art books and illustrations.  Once he learned the basics of art making, he sought to find his own “voice” and move away from relying on other artists’ work to inspire him.  As he transitioned to working from his own inner voice, he saw ways to integrate his personal sense of rich color relationships with his drawing, and a visual style that was distinctly his own emerged.

Today, he incorporates found objects into his canvas surfaces; everything from paint caps, to stones, to beach and street detritus contribute to the story within his artistic statement.  Almost as important to the inspiration he draws from these found sources was his discovery that he has to take risks without worrying about outcomes.

Esther Marie Caponigro’s multimedia drawings take their inspiration from the movement and space in nature, especially the Long Island and New York environments, as she merges the visual with the rhythmic in interpretative expressions of multimedia abstraction.

Patti Robinson’s collages celebrate the tactile with the poetic.  Her process involves working from piles of paper, often including old copies of LIFE magazine, to extract patches of color which she coaxes into compositions both vibrant and arresting.

Susan Buroker strives to use her media—sculpture, puppetry, collage, as well as mixed media, drawing and painting—to promote public collaborations for social change, including efforts to correct ecological imbalances.

Ray Germann’s high-contrast photographs dazzle the eye, bringing new focus to the quotidian and the sublime, and challenging our assumptions about the world around us.

“Abstracts” at Gallery 90, July 13 – Aug. 11, 2024; Artists’ Talk, Aug. 4, 2 p.m.  90 Montauk Highway, Center Moriches. Open Saturdays and Sundays noon - 5 p.m.