Projecting Pentagonism: The Aesthetic of Gerard Caris

About

Renowned for his experimentations with pentagons, a philosophy he refers to as ‘Pentagonism’, the exhibition will feature a selection of works spanning over 50 years including abstract, geometric paintings, drawings, and Caris’ unique relief sculptures built up of hundreds of hand-cut shapes meticulously assembled into three-dimensional panels. Born in Maastricht in 1925, Gerard Caris saw military service in the US, Indonesia and Malaysia before embarking on a successful engineering career which included work on the Telstar Horn Antenna at Andover, Maine, US. He subsequently studied art and philosophy at the City College of New York and between 1964-69 and completed a BA and MA at the University of Berkeley, California. There Caris worked and studied alongside Elmer Bischoff, Richard Diebenkorn, David Hockney and the neo-expressionist painter, R.B.Kitaj. The works in the exhibition range from Caris’ earliest acrylic paintings made while studying in California, through the development of Pentagonism, and includes recent drawings and small sculptures, demonstrating a studio practice that continues to be vibrant and innovative. This exhibition is co-curated by Dr Katie McGown, Sidney Cooper Gallery, and Dr Grant Pooke, University of Kent. It has been made possible through the generous support of the Mondriaan Fund.