Bespoke Gallery is pleased to present Outland, an exhibition of recent large-scale acrylic on canvas paintings by Frank Webster. A reception will be held on Thursday, January 24th from 6 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. This is Webster’s second solo exhibition at Bespoke Gallery.

In Outland, Webster’s paintings depict the tension between environment and structure in post-industrial American urban landscapes characterized by banality and generality of place. The flatness and muted colors of Webster’s paintings at once hint at something ominous and indistinguishable about our geographic surroundings, yet also celebrate the inherent and quiet beauty of commonplace architecture. In “Dead Tree”, a large, stark denuded tree painted in cool blue tones resides at the forefront of the canvas against a backdrop of industrial chimneys. In the distance the warm orange glow of a sun setting imposes a certain element of comfort to the lonely prongs of the tree branches and industrial towers.

Webster’s paintings question conventional notions of appeal and attempt to reconcile the inherent conflicts in human decisions in expanding and developing the environment.

Webster’s paintings combine elements of minimalism and realism. His work has been referred to as “dark pop” or “strip-mall Morandi.” Always grounded in the real, his paintings speak of something transcendent in the everyday world. The unexpected juxtaposition of technology and romanticism speaks eloquently of our current standing in history – and impact on our environment.

Webster lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. Webster received his BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and his MFA from Mason Gross, Rutgers University. He also attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. Webster is the recipient of numerous awards including the Pollock Krasner and the Golden Foundation Individual Artist Award. In addition to his two solo exhibitions at Bespoke Gallery, Webster has participated in numerous group exhibitions in New York including Sara Meltzer Gallery, John Connelly Presents, Deitch Projects, Lombard Freid Fine Arts and White Columns Gallery.