SECOND NATURE

Second Nature is a study of genres in abstraction that celebrate visual respite and carry a presence of meaningful introspection. Featuring James Gortner along with a selection of contemporary artists, the visual language of this exhibition evokes an awakening akin to the start of spring, through color exploration and a bow to Modern art movements of the midcentury.

ARTWORK

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Amelchenko Gallery is pleased to present Second Nature, a spring exhibition opening April 16th, featuring James Gortner along with a selection of fellow contemporary artists who create meditative contemplations through abstraction.

Second Nature is a study of genres in abstraction that celebrate visual respite and carry a presence of meaningful introspection through the use of natural elements. The visual language of this exhibition evokes an awakening akin to the start of spring, through color exploration and a bow to Modern art movements.

Featured in the exhibition are James Gortner's works which employ a unique painting technique that investigates and reveals the elusive beauty of imperfection. By adhering, then tearing painted canvas from various surfaces, each unique imprint is truly fortuitous. These paintings are essentially a performance of texture, color, and geometry by way of Automatism and Japanese wabi-sabi aesthetic. Each work honors the past lives of the
materials used, which breathe new life into each composition.

In dialogue with Gortner's paintings are Roddy Wildeman's sculptural wall assemblages, composed of wood fragments meticulously arranged into perspective lines with a refreshing Op-Art sensibility and captivating illusion. C. Finley's geometric minimalism offers a mystical interplay founded in color theory and form in an exuberant manner. Joseph Hart's work is a choreography of gesture and collage that creates an atmospheric Neo-Conceptual emergence.
Lee Tal's steel floral sculpture reflects and therefore incorporates its surroundings, allowing each piece to shift with light, space and perception. Suzan Globus constructs dynamic abstracted works inspired by Japanese ink drawings, trees, and the female form to create organic and serene compositions.
Through a deep Baroque palette, Audun Grimstad’s hazy and lush process-based abstracted landscape paintings are dramatic and emersive with orchestrations of unexpected color interference. Verdiana Patacchini's compelling figuration draws inspiration from Pompeian frescoes and ancient statues to address themes that ground us and connect us to the past earth.

Lastly, alongside these contemporary voices is a Loren MacIver painting, showcasing her hypnotic lyrical abstraction from 1950. MacIver, the first woman to be included in the MOMA and Whitney Museum's permanent collections, abstracted everyday observations and landscapes blending Impressionism with
Expressionism further anchoring the exhibition in a retrospective coherence. Relevant today as ever in the natural enduring yearn for abstraction, Second Nature is ultimately an exploration of how abstract art requires no translation when it is felt. This is a collection of work that settles into a space and elevates through elements of nature and serenity.

On View: April 16 - June 11
Location: Amelchenko Gallery, 2 Bridge Avenue, Suite 314, Red Bank, NJ (The Galleria)
Gallery Hours: Monday - Saturday: 11 - 5 pm
Private viewings and consultations available by appointment.
High-resolution images and additional information are available upon request.
Contact: gallery@taraamelchenko.com