As an abstract painter, Maine artist Frederick Lynch (born 1935) uses a system of repeated geometries and mathematical divisions to create his art. Division and Discovery: Recent Work by Frederick Lynch, on view February 27 through May 16, 2010, will feature 30 works in a range of media including paintings, works on paper, wooden sculptures, and painted reliefs.
Frederick Lynch (born 1935), “Segment Collective 4”, 2009. Oil on pine, 50 x 40 inches. Lent by the artist
Lynch’s paintings evoke the type of order and chaos found in patterns of nature-branching, veining of leaves, and molecular systems. He often begins a work by drawing a 120 degree line, and then continues to further divide the picture plane into hundreds of increasingly smaller shapes, each layered with variations in color, line, and scale. In Lynch’s recent work, he has dissected these vibrant, painted geometries, isolating them into individual units, or Segments as he terms them. Once distilled, the shapes are then magnified in drawings, gouaches, and wooden constructions.
The exhibition pairs sculptural segments and works on paper side by side, highlighting the evolution of specific forms through shifts in scale and media. Carefully rendered drawings suggest architectural specimens, while 3-dimensional wooden constructions are given painterly surfaces that contradict their sculptural nature. Although each generation of segment is unique, they are conceptually linked with the ones that came before. This is the first time the sculptural segments will be exhibited with their companion drawings and large scale paintings. Collectively, this body of work articulates the artist’s vision in both pictorial space and physical space on a macro and micro scale.
Fred Lynch has lived in Maine for more than 35 years. He served as a faculty member of the Art Department at the University of Southern Maine from 1981 to 2006, and has exhibited widely throughout New England and beyond. In 2005, the Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland mounted a 20-year survey of his work. His work is in numerous public and private collections including the Portland Museum of Art.
Related Program
Exhibition Celebration: Frederick Lynch
Saturday, March 13, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Free with Museum admission.
Celebrate the exhibition Division and Discovery: Recent Work by Frederick Lynch with a presentation by the artist. Listen to Lynch talk about his career and process, then join him in the exhibition for a question and answer session. A reception in the artist’s honor will follow in the McLellan House. This program is made possible in part by the Bea Gilmore Fund for Museum Education.
Museum Information
The Portland Museum of Art is located at Seven Congress Square in downtown Portland. The Museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday. Memorial Day through Columbus Day, the Museum is open on Mondays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Museum admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and students with I.D., $4 for youth ages 6 to 17, and children under 6 are free. The Museum is free on Friday evenings from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Museum Cafe and Store. For more information, call (207) 775-6148.
www.portlandmuseum.org.
