Cristin Tierney Gallery is pleased to participate in ZONA MACO. Visit us in booth C111 to see works by François Bucher, Debbi Kenote, Alois Kronschlaeger, Mark Sengbusch, and Francisco Ugarte. The fair opens with a preview on Wednesday, February 5th, and continues through Sunday, February 9th.
Color, form, space, and movement come to the fore in this group presentation of new paintings, sculptures, and neon works. Using various techniques and strategies, each artist invites viewers to explore shifting perspectives, whether through literal movement around the work or the evocation of motion within the composition itself.
Mark Sengbusch’s sculptures are a playful synthesis of Brutalist architecture, handmade toys, and Japanese wood joinery. Assembled without glue or hardware, his works fit together like intricate puzzles. Crayola consists of painted plywood pieces that combine to form a vibrant, futuristic structure radiating whimsical energy. Sengbusch’s palette, inspired by sources as diverse as faded vinyl records, ’70s videogames, and graffiti, is a kaleidoscope of neons, jewel tones, and warm hues.
Debbi Kenote’s shaped canvases are similarly inspired by nostalgia, childhood memories, and American craft traditions. She handcrafts her stretchers, transforming the conventional rectangular canvas into complex forms. Her designs draw from the geometry of quilts, the patterns of weaving, and the structure of Bauhaus architecture, while her palette captures shades observed in the natural world. This process challenges and redefines the boundaries of painting, emphasizing the canvas’s objecthood.
In contrast, Francisco Ugarte’s Fragmentos series distills the essence of painting to its most minimal gestures. Beginning with seemingly random brushstrokes, Ugarte identifies compelling fragments that he enlarges into meticulously detailed canvases. These works function as abstract meditations on the act of painting, emphasizing intuition over premeditation and highlighting the beauty of spontaneous gesture.
François Bucher’s Floating Signifier, Grounded Signifier explores the theoretical dimensions of space and reality. This abstract metal sculpture is positioned beside a copy of Despite Straight Lines, a book authored by another François Bucher (1927-1999), analyzing German artist Josef Alber’s poetry and graphic constructions. The sculpture casts a shadow that replicates a 1940 Albers drawing titled Study for Tenayuca, which references studies of pre-Hispanic geometry and Bauhaus ideals. By reproducing Albers’ drawing without touching a pencil, Bucher highlights the interconnectedness of different realities and histories, exploring interdimensional consciousness as a means of broadening perception and the possibilities for coincidence.
Alois Kronschlaeger’s vibrant abstract grid paintings from his Color Field series further extend the discourse on color and space. Influenced by artists and color theorists such as Carlos Cruz-Diez and Jesús Rafael Soto, Kronschlaeger employs interference inks and custom-mixed paints applied with precision using eyedroppers. The resulting compositions feature countless hues, blurred lines, and areas of blank canvas, as the interference inks disrupt the surface to create dynamic, ever-changing visual experiences.
Presented together, these artists challenge the traditional definitions of painting and sculpture. Their diverse practices highlight the enduring relevance of formal experimentation while forging paths that resonate with contemporary audiences.
Color, form, space, and movement come to the fore in this group presentation of new paintings, sculptures, and neon works. Using various techniques and strategies, each artist invites viewers to explore shifting perspectives, whether through literal movement around the work or the evocation of motion within the composition itself.
Mark Sengbusch’s sculptures are a playful synthesis of Brutalist architecture, handmade toys, and Japanese wood joinery. Assembled without glue or hardware, his works fit together like intricate puzzles. Crayola consists of painted plywood pieces that combine to form a vibrant, futuristic structure radiating whimsical energy. Sengbusch’s palette, inspired by sources as diverse as faded vinyl records, ’70s videogames, and graffiti, is a kaleidoscope of neons, jewel tones, and warm hues.
Debbi Kenote’s shaped canvases are similarly inspired by nostalgia, childhood memories, and American craft traditions. She handcrafts her stretchers, transforming the conventional rectangular canvas into complex forms. Her designs draw from the geometry of quilts, the patterns of weaving, and the structure of Bauhaus architecture, while her palette captures shades observed in the natural world. This process challenges and redefines the boundaries of painting, emphasizing the canvas’s objecthood.
In contrast, Francisco Ugarte’s Fragmentos series distills the essence of painting to its most minimal gestures. Beginning with seemingly random brushstrokes, Ugarte identifies compelling fragments that he enlarges into meticulously detailed canvases. These works function as abstract meditations on the act of painting, emphasizing intuition over premeditation and highlighting the beauty of spontaneous gesture.
François Bucher’s Floating Signifier, Grounded Signifier explores the theoretical dimensions of space and reality. This abstract metal sculpture is positioned beside a copy of Despite Straight Lines, a book authored by another François Bucher (1927-1999), analyzing German artist Josef Alber’s poetry and graphic constructions. The sculpture casts a shadow that replicates a 1940 Albers drawing titled Study for Tenayuca, which references studies of pre-Hispanic geometry and Bauhaus ideals. By reproducing Albers’ drawing without touching a pencil, Bucher highlights the interconnectedness of different realities and histories, exploring interdimensional consciousness as a means of broadening perception and the possibilities for coincidence.
Alois Kronschlaeger’s vibrant abstract grid paintings from his Color Field series further extend the discourse on color and space. Influenced by artists and color theorists such as Carlos Cruz-Diez and Jesús Rafael Soto, Kronschlaeger employs interference inks and custom-mixed paints applied with precision using eyedroppers. The resulting compositions feature countless hues, blurred lines, and areas of blank canvas, as the interference inks disrupt the surface to create dynamic, ever-changing visual experiences.
Presented together, these artists challenge the traditional definitions of painting and sculpture. Their diverse practices highlight the enduring relevance of formal experimentation while forging paths that resonate with contemporary audiences.
January 23, 2025
