Wed 9/15 @ 5:30-7:30PM
Fri 9/17 @ 5-8PM
It’s been a while since we’ve seen work from Mark Howard, who was one of the stable of artists at William Busta’s old gallery. His last show at the now-closed gallery was back in 2013.
Luckily, Hillary Gent’s HEDGE Gallery at 78th Street Studios has taken up some of the slack, representing a group of outstanding area artists and presenting them with regular shows. Now HEDGE is bringing Howard back into the spotlight, showcasing a group of his most recent projects in a show called Shape Shifters. They include cut-paper collages and textured paintings in strong colors inspired by German expressionism, with a shift toward abstraction.
“While 2020 ushered in so many unexpected changes followed by new beginnings, Cleveland artist Mark Howard had already begun shifting his practice, instilling incremental new ideas,” says the show’s statement. “Much of Howard’s past work maintained a Black sensibility and an urban theme, using life in the streets as his primary influence. He recently began questioning the relevance of figurative subject matter, which has been the core of his prolific painting, printmaking and collage work.”
Says Howard, “In my past I ‘cut out’ imagery from the world. Now I do it with abstraction.”
There’s a free preview, open to the public, on Wednesday September 15, with the opening reception Friday September 17 @ 5-8pm during Third Friday. The show will be on view through Friday November 5.