ABOUT THE ART

Like much of Bernard Frize’s work, the painting Paradisio is an abstract composition derived from a repetitive gesture and a limited color palette. Using custom-made brushes and often the hands of his assistants, Frize lays on multiple colors simultaneously, followed by lacquer. Close examination of his paintings reveals accidental elements, such as insects trapped in the paint surface, which the artist enthusiastically accepts.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

French artist Bernard Frize is interested in the process of painting rather than the result. Since the 1970s, he has embraced the chance elements of painting. He creates abstract compositions derived elaborately from constructed rules and choreographed movements, which ultimately determine the formal composition. He explores the bare essence of painting, reducing the practice to process, conception, and aesthetic. Frize creates paintings about painting, and he views the painting not as a means to express something but as an expression in and of itself.