‘A Retrospective On The Theme Of Water’ By Artist Fred Bendheim At 440 Gallery
“Water is so important. When we got rain, it was a big deal. I remember the dried gullies turning into raging rivers.”
Artist Fred Bendheim is recalling his childhood growing up in Arizona. The arrival of water — and the absence thereof — was on his mind.
Not surprising, as his retrospective — which uses water as a theme — opened at 440 Gallery (440 6th Avenue, between 9th and 10th Streets) on Thursday, January 15. The exhibition runs through Sunday, February 14.
The end of 2015 was 440’s opportunity to feature their photographers, including the impressive exhibitions by both Amy Williams and David Stock. The 2016 season turns to Bendheim, whose work is hard to categorize — always a reason for excitement.
His oeuvre uses elements of both painting and sculpture, and the retrospective provides an engaging opportunity to see how these boundaries are at play throughout his years as an artist.
Bendheim moved to New York in 1984 after living San Francisco. He had spent a period of time in California, beginning with his artistic work as a college student at Pomona College in the late 70s.
“This is the first time I’ve done a retrospective,” Bendheim tells us. However, he presented an exhibit a few years ago at 440 called Shapings. And that term plays an important role in his work.
“I’ve always been attracted to the unconventional,” he says. “I’m interested in thinking outside of the rectangle.”
“The Shaped Canvas” is a school of art that Bendheim refers to as one of his influences. The paintings in this approach are often three-dimensional, and move outside of the rectangular configuration. In addition, painter and printmaker Frank Stella’s work has played an important role for Bendheim.
Many of Bendheim’s pieces break out of the traditional framed element within a piece of artwork. There’s a striking abstraction, with a geometricism that plays both with sharp angles and softer edges.
Bendheim’s process is made up of several layers. He begins with what he calls a “maquette” — a model of sorts, which functions as a draft or sketch. “It provides an opportunity to figure things out spacially,” he says. “Structure and composition come first, and color comes second.”
In addition to the visual world, Bendheim says, “I’m interested in the sounds of water.” The recent Fountain Protoype #2 sits in the window of the gallery, providing both visual and aural calm.
Bendheim points out a passage in Barbara Aria and Russell Eng Gon’s The Spirit of the Chinese Character. The passage speaks about Shih-t’ao, an artist and monk from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) that “presented the action of water as a model for human spirit…It flows by its own law, swirling and finding its level with no motive or effort whatsoever.”
In addition to his work that appears within galleries and studios, Bendheim’s creations can be seen in public spaces. His Brooklyn Public Library artwork was installed in 2014 and is there for you to visit.
Bendheim’s abstract aesthetic provides an opportunity for both the most experienced museum-goers and newcomers alike to experience form, color, and shape in a stimulating retrospective.
“For novice viewers, you can start with how it makes you feel, the energy that the piece gives you,” says Bendheim.
“It’s the little things in abstract art that are important. Why that specific shape? How do they relate to each other?”
The Exhibition Rundown: A Retrospective On The Theme Of Water by Fred Bendheim
Where: 440 Gallery (440 6th Avenue, between 9th and 10th Streets)
When: Now through Sunday, February 14.
Phone: 718-499-3844
Hours: Thursdays and Fridays 4-7pm; Saturdays and Sundays 11am-7pm
Admission: Free. Price list for artwork available at gallery.
Talk By Artist: Saturday, January 30 at 4:40pm