NYAB Event - Fred Gutzeit “SigNatures”

Fred Gutzeit “SigNatures”

Pratt Manhattan Gallery

This event has ended.

New York City: Pratt Manhattan Gallery presents Fred Gutzeit’s SigNatures series of abstract minimal paintings, watercolors and prints of autographs from friends and colleagues. Lynn Masliszewski in the Nov 2014 issue of Brooklyn Rail writes of Gutzeit’s paintings, “His attempt to render the murky sandpits of identity through abstract means relies on thought rather than chance. He captures an essence, as inexplicable as first impressions or body language, through sinuous form and fervent mayhem.”

The series title SigNatures derives from Gutzeit’s years of exploring the ways and means of representing nature as an artist. Wanting to add a human “touch” to the landscape-nature works of the previous 10 years, he began seeing a signature as self-portrait. Gutzeit’s method of production begins with computer manipulation of the first and last initial of a signature by stripping it down to basic lines, patterns and matrixes with precision and immediacy. These basic elements are used in multiple combinations as he exponentially creates prototypes on the computer which are printed out and further abstracted through numerous layers of drawing and painting. Once a framework has been realized, the image is drafted onto small panels and later to larger canvases.

Regardless of the size of the support, the signature dominates the field as it zig-zags its way across diverse meticulously structured backgrounds of delicate atmospheric sways or hard driving blasting beats of color. Some of the pieces have a boarder which contains some signatures while other signatures try to puncture their way through. The sides of the pieces are painted in a pattern that brings a sense of three dimensionality to these flat paintings. Gutzeit’s selection of colors only heighten the effect, as the colors are electric, chaotic, nearly over powering and thoroughly mesmerizing.

Gutzeit is currently exhibiting at Sideshow and Janet Kurnatowski Gallery, both in Brooklyn, NY. He is in over 50 collections and publications including: Art News, FlashArtonline, Newsday, The New Criterion, The New York Times and White Hot Magazine.

Media

• Painting
• Drawing
• Prints

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