NEW YORK, NY.- This spring, Bertrand Delacroix Gallery features Orbis, a new collection of mixed media work by American artist Mark Knoerzer. The exhibition, titled after the Latin word for circle, includes colorful oil, acrylic and epoxy paintings on canvas. Knoerzer’s organic designs are at once incredibly complex and geometrically simple. The abstract pieces suggest subtle connections to nature, growth, sexuality and the expansive universe around us.

On the show, Knoerzer states: Orbis is inspired by my fascination with outer space and the visual abundance beyond our small realm of life. Each work is based on a simple circular configuration with concentric rings referencing planets, stars and orbits. The busy rings are contrasted by windows of space filled with subtle multi-colored ombré effects.

My polyptychs are a visual dialect of my celestial interests and indirectly relate to nature. Each panel is based on a circle and made by adding and subtracting curved lines then mirrored to form symmetry.

Knoerzer’s unusual works are brought to fruition through an extensive and meticulous layering process. He first hand draws his designs, then outlines the shapes with acrylics and fills them in with oils – sometimes he uses up to 15 layers of paint depending on the intended effect. Afterwards, Knoerzer coats his paintings with 3 layers of epoxy to achieve the shiny, glass-like finish.

Born in 1978 in Cornwall, New York, Knoerzer received his AFA from the Fashion Institute of Technology and his BFA from Parsons School of Design, where he was awarded an undergraduate Deans Scholarship and a BFA Scholarship. Knoerzer initially worked as a figurative painter but in 2006, while enrolled at Parsons, his style shifted dramatically and he began experimenting with light installations. After two years working in 3-D, he returned to painting but his work was now abstract. These new paintings were heavily influenced by the experiences he had working with installations. These multi-layered abstract pieces are what he is most known for today. The artist currently lives and works in Brooklyn, NY and will attend the opening reception on April 23.