In his fourth exhibition at Carter Burden Gallery sculptor Jonathan Bauch presents wall and freestanding steel sculptures that explore the challenges that humanity faces, both internal and external. In Examining Movement & Gestures Bauch contrasts two forms of movement, physical and quick gestures represented by abstracted dancing figures in small-scale pedestal pieces, and a slower more methodical motion that reflects our changing environment. Bauch states: “In working with the steel, the industrial quality of the medium is tempered by the indelible mark of the human hand, resulting in sculptures that seem to defy their material with their ethereal qualities.”

Jonathan Bauch, born 1940, is a New York City native, who began his artistic career as an abstract painter, graduating from Parsons School of Design and later studying at New York University and the School of Visual Arts. Following the need for more interaction and movement in his work, his artistic focus evolved from painting to sculpture in the late 1960s. In addition to exhibiting in both solo and group exhibitions in New York City and New England, Bauch has been the recipient of grants from the Joan Mitchell, and Adolph and Esther Gottlieb foundations, and has taught welding steel sculpture at the Educational Alliance. Jonathan Bauch continues to create work and reside in New York City.

In Examining Movement & Gestures Francie Lyshak presents recent paintings in her third exhibition at Carter Burden Gallery. In her latest series of monochromatic oil paintings, Lyshak explores the medium itself and the aesthetic effects of mark making. The works are experiments with paint and painter’s tools, with a focus on color simplicity and the influence of light and texture. Lyshak states: “At its simplest level, a painting is an interaction between the paint and the artist’s eye, hand, and mind. The painter’s stage is a canvas.”

Francie Lyshak studied art in Paris, Detroit, and New York City culminating in a master’s degree from Pratt Institute. Her painting career began in the 1980s as a young feminist in the East Village where she was influenced by a community of anti-establishment visual artists, musicians, writers, and intellectuals, including David Wojnarowicz, Peter Hujar, Gary Indiana, Bill Rice, and John Lurie. She has exhibited extensively in the New York area. Her paintings have been selected for juried exhibitions by numerous artists and curators including Alice Neel, Patterson Sims, and Paulina Pobocha of MOMA. In addition to being the recipient of a number of awards and honors, her work is held in private collections in the United States and Great Britain.