Bespoke Gallery is pleased to present From Here to the Moon, a series of paintings by artist Franck Salzwedel. A reception will be held on Thursday, January 22nd from 6 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. This is Salzwedel’s second solo exhibition at Bespoke Gallery.

The 20 X 16 inch acrylic on board color panels in From Here to the Moon form a single work – a chromatic odyssey. Salzwedel employs a steady hand and painstaking precision in applying copious layers of pigment to reveal luminescent, entirely smooth panels of singular yet gradated colors.

The ultimate depth of the surface is virtually negligible to the viewer, a perception which is enhanced by the sight of the edge of the boards, which are painted white. The surfaces, like sheets of paper, become floating entities.

The texture of the pieces is perceived in the subtle transition of colors on both the panels and in reference to their counterparts. A panel of mossy brown merges into luminescent green, and as the series progresses through pinks, pale grays then purples, a complete range of mutable yet substantive forms is experienced. The smooth perfection of the surfaces, the repetitive vibration of color, the interplay of the pieces and the scope of pigments employed all assume key roles in a transformational tonal and astral journey.

An additional piece of eight panels in lunar blues stack vertically on the wall and provide an architectural anchor to the exhibition.

Salzwedel is a French painter currently residing in New York City. He has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions in France, and most recently was represented by Vanessa Suchar at the Slick 08 contemporary art fair in Paris. Also in 2008, the artist was commissioned by Nine West for their Fifth Avenue flagship store, where his light installation and Color Icons were featured. Salzwedel spent his childhood in Indonesia and France and attributes much of his interest in color to his formative experiences in Asia. He later studied and graduated from Institut Francais de la Mode (IFM) in Paris, France with an MBA in Fashion and Creation. Salzwedel’s work is included in a number of important international private art collections.