To Leo, A Tribute from American Abstract Artists

It was a lovely night for an opening. American Abstract Artists, the long-established group of painters and sculptors (to which I have just become a member) gathered at Sideshow Gallery in Williamsburg to celebrate Leo Rabkin, the nonagenarian past president of the organization. I have shown the work of many of the artists in this group here on my blog, but it was awesome--and I don't use that word often--to see so much great abstraction in the same place at the same time and  to engage in conversation with the artists who made it.

Leo Rabkin, who will give a talk this coming Saturday, June 21,
at 2:00 p.m. at Sideshow
Photo: Michael Phillips

Since I'm in the show, this is not a review but rather a tour. We begin on Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg, on the sidewalk outside the gallery. There would be a steady stream of people entering the gallery during the three-hour opening. The first few pictures orient you to the front gallery and give you a taste of the crowd. (I took most of the pictures. Credits for others are noted.)

Heading in

Entering the gallery:

Hey, is that Sharon Butler, painter and author of the Two Coats of Paint blog? Why yes, it is, and she posted a little sumthin about the show

The front gallery is large (entrance to it is beyond my right shoulder as I'm shooting). That's Nancy Manter waving. You'll see her work when you scroll down

Here in the front gallery, with Jason Andrew, owner of Norte Maar Gallery in Bushwick, in the yellow shirt, talking with Matthew Deleget, owner of Minus Space in DUMBO. We're looking toward the back gallery

Deleget at right, chatting with a friend. Stephen Westfall's striped Star is in the center of the wall

A few paintings down from Westfall is Don Voisine's Knot. Do you have a sense of the space? Not to worry if you don't.  I'm going to take you around the show. I arrived early to photograph, but the galleries filled up fast. And not being six feet tall (an understatement, no pun intended) there were paintings I wanted to shoot but just couldn't approach straight on

Starting just to the right of the entry: Katinka Mann relief sculpture (top), with work by Sharon Brant, David Row, and Nola Zirin

David Row, Untitled (DR944), oil on paper

Nancy Manter, Emily Berger (top) and Judith Murray; Mary Schiliro (top) and Manford Mohr

Below: Nancy Manter, Trim #1 - #3, charcoal on paper

Continuing down the long wall of the front gallery: Creighton Michael; Vera Vasek and Stephen Westfall, visible behind gallerygoers; Lynn Umlauf, Don Voisine, Richard Timperio

Creighton Michael, Vera Vasek, Irene Rousseau

We'll get to the back gallery in a moment, but let's continue around the front gallery. That's Richard Timperio's painting at left, Twistin, with the red and blue. On the right wall: Merrill Wagner, OO Leo

A selection of work by Leo Rabkin, including my favorite below; and work by Power Boothe (top) and Beatrice Reise 

Below: Rabkin's Flocked Wire in Green and Yellow

Boothe, Reise; James Juszcyzk, Cordy Ryman

Mon Levinson; Edwin Ruda (top) and Siri Berg;
Gertrude Greene, Balcomb Greene; a sliver of Tom Evans

Just to reorient you, as we turn around and head for the back gallery

Voisine, Timperio; Matthew Deleget, Gail Gregg, Jeanne Wilkinson video

Gregg; Kim Uchiyama and Steven Maine (both top); Alice Adams, James Gross, Mara Held, Corey Postiglione

Kim Uchiyama, Geo, oil on canvas

Panorama of three walls of the back gallery. Closer views below

Maine (top); Gross, Held, Postiglione; a selection of small work by Lorenza Sannai, Lucio Pozzi, Susan Smith, Tom Doyle, Cecily Kahn, and Raquel Rabinovich; Ce Roser

Corey Postiglione, Tango Spectrum #VII. acrylic and lightfast marker on canvas

Sannai, Pozzi, Smith, Doyle, Kahn, Rabinovitch

Below: Cecily Kahn, Walk, oil on linen on board

Corner left: Ce Roser

Back wall: Julian Jackson (top) and Phillis Ideal;  Ward Jackson; Henry Brown (top) and Irene A. Lawrence; Claire Seidl

Nephew and uncle: Julian Jackson, Collage in Red and Black, pasted papers, above; Ward Jackson, Interchange V, acrylic on canvas

Look who's talking to Gabrielle Evertz

Photo: Michael Phillips

Brown, Lawrence, Seidl; Thornton Willis (top), David Mackenzie; James O. Clark sculpture on floor

Right wall: Mark Dagley, Marthe Keller (top), John Obuck, Ilona Kleinhut, Marvin Brown

Seidl; Willis, Mackenzie; Clark sculpture

Below: John Obuck, Brickwall, oil on canvas

Jim Osman, Allowance, in foreground

Below: Invited artists from Le Salon des Réalités Nouvelles, a Paris-based organization founded by Robert and Sonia Delaunay in 1939 and focused, similarly, on the promotion of abstract art

From left: Richard van der Aa, Bogumila Strojna, Olivier di Pizio (top), Erik Levesque

Left wall: the four Réalités Nouvelles artists; right wall: Pinckney Herbert, Victor Kord

Osman in foreground, and Kord at left

Continuing around back wall: Anne Russinoff, Joanne Mattera,  Gilbert Hsaio

Right wall: Li Trincere (top), Susan Bonfils single work comprised of four pieces; Margaret Neill, Edward Shalala (top), Naomi Boretz

Edward Shalala, Untitled, 2014,  #4 canvas thread,

random permutation blown by the wind by flying a kite; location: North Meadow, Central Park, New York City; NY documentary gelatin silver print 

Steven Alexander; Gabrielle Evertz (top), John Phillips (middle), Jane Logemann (bottom); Vincent Longo (top), Mark Williams (bottom); Daniel G. Hill

Corner with Mattera, Hsaio; Trincere, Bonfils

Stephen Alexander, Palm 4, acrylic on canvas

Stephen Maine talking with Gilbert Hsaio, who is haloed by his own painting; foreground Daniel G, Hill,  #9704, acrylic on canvas

Photo: Michael Phillips

Pulling back to show you the way out

The long wall that unites both galleries

Walking into the front gallery, with the door at the far end

Photo: Michael Phillips

Back out on the street
Photo: Michael Phillips

To Leo, A Tribute from the American Abstract Artists runs through July 13 at Sideshow Gallery, Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Leo Rabkin will give a talk at 2:00 in the gallery on Saturday, June 21

More on American Abstract Artists here