Gary Schlingheider

Gary Schlingheider's artistic practice intricately weaves together painting and sculpture, emerging from an exploration of the boundary-breaking possibilities within both mediums. Central to the painter and sculptor's engagement is the emphasis on color and form. Operating on a large scale, Schlingheider employs vibrant opaque colors and geometric, minimalist shapes. Drawing inspiration from art historical figures such as the Minimalists, Ellsworth Kelly, and Frank Stella, he redefines the boundaries between painting and sculpture.

 

In his paintings, Schlingheider utilizes monochromatic surfaces, skillfully layering them both beside and atop one another. This technique results in compositions of clearly defined geometric forms within distinct layers, creating the illusion of a three-dimensional space. In the final stage, the artist breaks free from the established system. Lacquer flows over the arrangement, dividing the pictorial space, erasing and delineating, simultaneously opening new areas. The application becomes less expansive, more spontaneous and gestural – a calculated yet fortuitous process. The spaces emerging between the color layers and lacquer traces offer glimpses into the underlying creative process, emphasizing that Schlingheider's art is primarily about the interplay between the in-between and the beyond.