A group exhibition featuring Jan Handtmann, Susan Gesundheit, Carly Levy and Gary Brown
Co-Curated by Homeira Goldstein, Chairman of the Board of ARTS Manhattan and Ruth Weisberg, artist and Dean of the USC Roski School of Fine Arts, Arts Manhattan is pleased to present Four Artists: Singular Impressions, an exhibition of monotypes by Gary FrederickBrown, Susan Gesundheit, Jan Handtmann and Caryl Levy. These four artists are friends and have worked together for more than five years in printmaking workshops at the University of Southern California, in Carpinteria and in Florence and Giogalto, Italy.
Monotypes are a hybrid of painting and printmaking techniques where an image is worked on a plate and then rolled through the press. In contrast to etching, woodcut or lithography, only one print can be pulled. Monotype workshops, led by Ruth Weisberg, provided a refreshing contrast to the isolation many artists experience in Los Angeles. Working in a communal context has greatly benefited each of the artists and synergies have developed between them. They share a very rich, textural and tactile use of the media and their imagery tends toward the abstract but often with reference to more personal content. Their process of collaborative independence is a valuable model for other contemporary artists.
Caryl Levy has made innovative use of her grandmother and great aunt’s sewing patterns in order to construct ambitious iconic female figures. Jan Handtmann’s sensitivity to collage materials is combined with autobiographical references and a wonderful structural sense. Susan Gesundheit often uses an architectural point of departure in prints that utilize the interplay of screens and patterns. Gary Frederick Brown’s images are the most celestial, highlighting his deep interest in physics with an emphasis on string theory.
Arts Manhattan is a non-profit independent and privately funded art organization in Manhattan Beach committed to bringing contemporary art to the Greater South Bay to enhance the quality of cultural life and art awareness in the community.