Anita Shapolsky Gallery is proud to exhibit a unique collection of sculptures and paintings featuring pieces from Abstract Expressionist artists. Although these artists came from varying times, the common thread that binds them is their expression of their craft that takes them literally Off The Wall. 

Irving Kriesberg’s work blurs the line between abstraction and representation. His unique childlike style can be seen influencing the young abstract artists of today. His work is represented in over fifty public collections including the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney, the Brooklyn Museum, and more.

In the ’50s, William Manning was recognized as the first native Maine painter to work abstractly. As a teacher at the Portland School of Art, he was fired for what was considered a radical philosophy. He co-founded Concept, a School of Visual Studies. His paintings convey a liberated sense of color, design, and shape. His work is in numerous collections throughout the United States and Europe. 

Painter and writer Leonora Carrington redefined female symbolism and imagery in Surrealism. Carrington’s works are included in numerous museums. The gallery is exhibiting the theater masks she designed in 1976 for her never-produced play, Opus Siniestrus: The Story of The Last Egg.

Mark Gibian’s iconic sculptures can be recognized throughout New York City, the City Hall subway station, the Northside Pier in Williamsburg, and in the Tribeca segment of the Hudson River Park. His newest sculpture, “Mechanical Flower #1,” created with his collaborator James Polk, is featured in this exhibition.

Morfy Gikas has participated in many Greek-American exhibitions at Cooper Union, the Queens Museum, and other New York City institutions. She says ceramic is the most ritualistic of artistic experiences; as it is a direct connection with earth and water. Her ceramic work “Menstrual Cycle” is exhibited in Off The Wall. 

Nancy Steinson has a unique approach to sculpture, with her work often described as “lyrical,” “sensuous,” and “graceful.” She creates mergences of curvilinear and planar forms which can result in soft and hard objects that never bore the viewer. 

To learn more about the exhibition and plan your visit, check out anitashapolskygallery.com.

Off The Wall continues at Anita Shapolsky Gallery (152 East 65th Street, Upper East Side, Manhattan) through January 8, 2021.