Sperone Westwater is pleased to announce an exhibition by Emil Lukas which features two major bodies of works: Thread Paintings and Larvae Paintings. These are “of unsurpassed beauty and formal complexity informed by a rigorous process of discovery and experimentation. As an artist, Lukas is unique in his ability to harness the physical attributes of materials and organic processes” to quote Harry Philbrick, Director of the Museum of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, who interviewed the artist for the accompanying catalogue.

Lukas’ distinctive use of everyday organic materials, such as thread, silk, or larvae, and his innovative techniques create intricate works which engage the viewer in an intimate and contemplative way. The accumulation of lines characterizes Lukas’ works -- materials do not exist independently, but are layered and stratified. His process is one in which creation and composition occur simultaneously.

Thread Paintings, such as the four part work Artillery or Poppy Red, 2013, engage with color, opacity, density as well as reflection of light, creating radiant three-dimensional objects which the artist describes as “atmospheres”. Larvae Paintings, such as Cloud, 2013, emphasize the surfaces on which sinuous lines meander in a random composition, the result of larvae traveling across the canvas drawing traces of ink and paint.

Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1964, Emil Lukas has exhibited throughout the United States and abroad, including the solo exhibition “Emil Lukas: Connection to the Curious” at The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield, CT, in 2005. His work is in important private and public collections, such as the Panza Collection, Italy; The Dakis Joannou Collection, Greece; and the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas.