LewAllen Galleries is pleased to present its second major exhibition of the works of Jack Roth (1927–2004), the acclaimed abstract artist and mathematician whose career spanned several decades and whose contributions to Abstract Expressionism and Color Field painting remain significant. This exhibition, entitled Formulas in color, opens on August 16 and remains on view through September 20, 2024.

The show includes examples from various periods of Roth’s career, including his early gestural, densely brushed canvases through his crisp, confident graphic 1970s and 1980s paintings that emphasize high-intensity color arrangements and wide expanses of black pigment on unprimed canvas.

Jack Roth’s art evolved alongside the vanguard of postwar American art, from Abstract Expressionism through Color Field abstraction and beyond. His artistic education was shaped by studying under legends such as Mark Rothko, Clyfford Still, and Richard Diebenkorn. His talent was recognized early when he was chosen by James Johnson Sweeney, director of The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, for the 1954 traveling exhibition, Younger American painters. Roth was one of the youngest artists—just 27 years of age—whose work was selected for the exhibition which helped to introduce Abstract Expressionism to the American public and traveled to major art museums across the United States. It included many leading artists of the day, including Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning and Robert Motherwell, many of whom were decades his elder.

In 1963, Art in America named Roth as the “New Talent” graphic artist upon the recommendation of Museum of Modern Art curators Dorothy Miller and William Lieberman. In 1978, the legendary gallery Knoedler and Co began their representation of Roth’s work, placing him in a prestigious company of artists such as Helen Frankenthaler, Alexander Calder, Adolph Gottlieb, Robert Motherwell, and Franz Kline. Roth was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship for painting the following year. His first solo exhibition at Knoedler and Co. in 1980 garnered praise from critics, including John Russell of The New York times, who noted Roth’s masterful use of color and form.

Roth also had a PhD in mathematics and was a professor at Ramapo College in New Jersey. When he was awarded the Guggenheim Fellowship for painting in 1979, a New York times headline at the time read, Math professor wins art fellowship, underscoring the unique blend of his artistic and mathematical pursuits. Roth himself noted, “I think there is a definite connection between doing work in mathematics and work in painting. Both creative mathematicians and artists are out there at the edges of horizons trying to push back the frontiers of human knowledge and understanding.”

Throughout his career, Roth's work was characterized by his explorations of color, form, and line. His pieces, such as the large drawing Where are they now? acquired by the Museum of Modern Art, reflect his deep intellectual engagement and artistic prowess. His works often evoke a sense of calm and precision, embodying his mathematical background and his practice of Zen Buddhism.

LewAllen Galleries exhibition Formulas in color will showcase works from Roth’s late career, including pieces safely stored for many years after the artist’s death in an onion barn in Chester, New York, which remained hidden treasures until now. Highlights include Metafour II (1980) and the vibrant Rope dancer series. These works demonstrate Roth's mastery of color and form, inviting viewers to engage with the paintings' rhythmic and contemplative qualities.

Jack Roth's legacy as a painter, mathematician, and poet is profound. This exhibition at LewAllen Galleries offers a unique opportunity to experience the breadth and depth of his work and to appreciate his significant contributions to modern art.