Minimal Force

About

Lichtundfire is pleased to present and welcomes all to the Opening Reception for MINIMAL FORCE, an exhibition with mainly minimal work, painting, sculpture and works on paper, that invokes visually and theoretically the sensation and the concept of Push and Pull – and its impact – achieved with seemingly minimal exertion and with various subtle, carefully crafted and sublimely executed media.

Here, the work exemplifies visually the balance born out of the tension of Push and Pull; whereby a push is a force that moves away from the object and a pull is a force that comes towards it. Applied to visual art, it simultaneously causes an object – and here, its concept and composition – to speed up, slow down, change the direction of movement, remain in place or change shape.

The balancing act between these forces within one work created by mixing colors, materials, textures or shapes, ultimately and ideally – results in a ‘calm within the storm’ of its Push and Pull.

While the six artists work distinctly different from each other, the result of seeming calmness, propelled and executed with minimal combined force – aims to connect them congruously and is paramount to the concept of the exhibition.

About the Artists:

Gretl Bauer’s works, created with various materials that hover between sculpture, relief and two dimensional media – here show a sophisticated, witty and complex aesthetic of Push and Pull.

Carol Boram-Hays’ intimate, ‘Anthropocene’ sculptures of opposing elements, materials and finishes demonstrate convincingly the result of applied minimal force made manifest.

Leslie Ford’s Bandwidth series, originally by way of an ‘accident’ turned conceptual force, delicately balances between raw materiality and finished object – all the while expanding the definition of painting.

Philip Gerstein’s exquisitely colorful minimal paintings with complex finishes, demonstrate delicacy and strength combined in harmonious lushness.

Francie Lyshak’s paints layered, surface-strong minimal work, with both subtle and radiant colors – that merge Push and Pull within one work to a vigorous and vital composition.

Arlene Santana Thornton’s work, either with exceptionally crafted minimal surfaces or with a strong sense for color or for both – shows us the range of Push and Pull in color, finish, texture and size.