NEW YORK, NY.- “Focus on Abstract Gems” showcases 52 small paintings, sculptures, and paper pieces from 34 artists, each with its own distinct history. These smaller works delight the viewer, pulling them in to get a closer, more intimate look at the details that make each piece so special. Here is some information about a sample of the artists included in our show.

Sonia Gechtoff, one of the most influential female Abstract Expressionists, died last week at the age of 91. Her work evolved into forms evoking flickering flames combining her tactile palette-based strokes into more contained compositions, as seen in Goya’s Ghost from 1998. She and Ethel Schwabacher were included in the 2016 "Women of Abstract Expressionism" exhibition at the Denver Art Museum which traveled to Mint Museum, Palm Springs Museum and White Chapel Museum.

Originally represented by the Martha Jackson Gallery, David Hayes has had over 400 exhibitions between the 1950’s and the early 2000’s and his sculptures are part of numerous esteemed collections, including the MoMA and the Guggenheim. His Small Vertical Model from 1986, shown in our current exhibition, is an elegant painted steel sculpture that compliments similar geometric forms found in other works in the show.

Despite being legally blind towards the end of her career, Buffie Johnson completed striking abstract paintings like Zero (Chaos), which juxtaposes bold circular forms on a soft, more gestural background. She had a one-woman show at the MoMA PS1 in 1993 as well as the Anita Shapolsky Gallery in 2002.

Ernst Briggs was a very well known, second generation Abstract Expressionist who believed in the idea of “art for art’s sake”. He moved to New York in 1953 after studying in San Francisco with is friend, Clifford Still. His work Mask from 1965, included in the show, serves as a wonderful example of his use of bold colors.

Ibram Lassaw worked with bronze and various alloys in his intricate, geometric sculptures that play with positive and negative space. He was one of the first American abstract sculptors and his work was instrumental in shaping the New York School.

The gallery has also included another piece from the show by William Saroyan. While primarily known as a writer, William Saroyan was also a talented artist who produced many paintings and works on paper. #2 Feb 20 1963 SF, one of his watercolors, is a playful experiment with color and movement.