Norbert Prangenberg

Paintings

Opening Thursday, April 1 from 6 – 8pm

On view through Saturday, May 22

New York, NY – Betty Cuningham Gallery is pleased to announce an exhibition of the paintings of Norbert Prangenberg.  This will be the artist’s first exhibition at the gallery and is presented in collaboration with Bernd Schellhorn of Berlin, Germany.  The artist will be present for an opening reception on Thursday, April 1.

Included in the exhibition will be a selection of approximately 30 recent paintings.  Although primarily known as a sculptor, Prangenberg has always worked in a variety of media; his sculptures, paintings, drawings, and prints are recognized as equally significant.  And one media is not exclusive of the other; for example his ceramics very much influence the tactile way in which he applies his paint.  Throughout all of his work, his fundamental relationship between sight and touch, eye and hand, is evident.

The paintings in this exhibition are all small, ranging from 10 x 8 inches to approximately 27 x 20 inches.  Prangenberg paints on a variety of surfaces: cardboard, wood, metal, and occasionally canvas, often allowing a portion of the foundation or ground to peak through the paint.  The artist uses brushstrokes, finger marks, varying densities of paint and intensities of color resulting in a vibrant tactile surface.  And to anchor the thickly impastoed surface, Prangenberg introduces either a simple, non-narrative geometric form, or a picture within a picture, a small area of intense color that contrasts to the larger painting.