David Richard Gallery is pleased to present, Works On Paper: Unique Paintings, Watercolors, Pastels and Collages, An Online Presentation featuring Abstract Expressionism, Color Field, Hard Edge and Op Art Selections by the following artists: Alcopley, Ernst Benkert, Dean Fleming, Sonia Gechtoff, Theo Hios, George Hofmann, James Kelly, Oli Sihvonen and Nina Tryggvadottir. This online presentation will be available June 10 through July 10, 2019.

This will be the first of a series online presentations and catalogs featuring works on paper by many artists working in the areas of Abstract Expressionism, Color Field, Hard Edge, geometric abstraction, Op Art, Pattern Painting, landscape and figurative painting. The media these artists used range from oil, acrylic, gouache, watercolor, pastel, pencil, ink, lithography, screen prints, wood block prints, collage, models, and maquettes.

Emphasizing works on paper in this presentation is important for several reasons. First, the artworks tend to be smaller and more price accessible as compared to larger paintings. They are a very good value and easy to move around and place in other spaces as collections grow and expand with certain artists or bodies of works. Thus, they are a great way to begin a collection on a limited budget. Second, works on paper are also a way for a seasoned collector with a large collection to explore certain aspects of an artist’s career or to invest in another related artist to have an example of work to further and support the broader collection without investing the larger sums for a painting.

A third, and slightly more academic reason for considering and collecting works on paper is they can be a direct view into the artist’s creative process and how they think about a particular artwork or series of works. Often, the artist feels loose and free to experiment with works on paper, as there is not the same pressure as working on a large canvas. Many collectors like works on paper for that reason, as they often capture the nascent thoughts, edits and revisions in real time as the artist was conceiving and refining a concept for an artwork or a body of work. In this instance, a picture really is worth a thousand words as sometimes it is easier to just see what an artist was trying to achieve on the paper without trying to express it in text.

Many artists love drawing, sketching and working on paper and often conceive certain series specifically for paper to let them more fully explore an area of work or multiple versions of a series. Sonia Gechtoff, James Kelly, Robert Murray, George Hofmann, Julian Stanczak and Oli Sihvonen, to name just a few, conceived specific series of drawings, prints and paintings specifically for paper. The works on paper are an important part of the creative process, but also an important support and way for artists to fully explore the many avenues of their studio practice.