My most recent paintings are loosely based upon the palette of Sandro Botticelli's paintings. I am particularly interested in his ability to make even the flattest objects appear rich and alive by utilizing a wide range of colors.
As Maurice Denis wrote in 1890, "Remember, that a picture, before it is a picture of a battle horse, a nude woman, or some story, is essentially a flat surface covered in colors arranged in a certain order."
My approach to making art is in keeping with this Formalist theory. For over thirty years I have produced art with a focus on light, color, surface, and geometry. Light is probably the salient component of my artwork. In the early 90’s I created sculptures incorporating neon. Even those of my paintings from the last decade that were predominately black have a glow to them. From 2021 through 2023 I dived headlong into light and color with a series of paintings with a brilliant palette, inspired by the op art I admired as a teenager.
As noted above, I am now working with far more subdued colors.
Video of 2025 exhibit at Andrea Schwartz Gallery: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3h8SbMYMIA
Video of me working on a Botticelli painting in 2025: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqdBCufCO3A
DeWitt Cheng review of 2017 Show
2013 Andrea Schwartz opening, ArtBusiness.com
Review of 2011 SFMOMA Artists Gallery Show
Andrea Schwartz Gallery
As Maurice Denis wrote in 1890, "Remember, that a picture, before it is a picture of a battle horse, a nude woman, or some story, is essentially a flat surface covered in colors arranged in a certain order."
My approach to making art is in keeping with this Formalist theory. For over thirty years I have produced art with a focus on light, color, surface, and geometry. Light is probably the salient component of my artwork. In the early 90’s I created sculptures incorporating neon. Even those of my paintings from the last decade that were predominately black have a glow to them. From 2021 through 2023 I dived headlong into light and color with a series of paintings with a brilliant palette, inspired by the op art I admired as a teenager.
As noted above, I am now working with far more subdued colors.
Video of 2025 exhibit at Andrea Schwartz Gallery: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3h8SbMYMIA
Video of me working on a Botticelli painting in 2025: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqdBCufCO3A
DeWitt Cheng review of 2017 Show
2013 Andrea Schwartz opening, ArtBusiness.com
Review of 2011 SFMOMA Artists Gallery Show
Andrea Schwartz Gallery