LewAllen Galleries presents an exhibition of new works entitled Uptergrove by well- known American abstract painter Brian Rutenberg, opening April 25, 2025. This new body of work marks a departure from Rutenberg’s signature abstract landscapes inspired by the South Carolina coast, as he turns his attention to the Canadian north.

Uptergrove is a deeply personal exploration of place, informed by Rutenberg’s longstanding admiration for Canadian pianist and philosopher Glenn Gould. Set against the backdrop of the hamlet of Uptergrove on Lake Simcoe in Ontario, where Gould spent time in solitude, the artist draws on his own immersive experience there with nature and the creative process.

Rutenberg writes about this in an essay for the catalog that accompanies the exhibition. His new paintings are as energetic and well-composed as his encomium in the essay for Gould and Uptergrove. The spirited optimism reflected in Rutenberg's admiring narrative of Gould and his music, combined with his pilgrim-like nostalgic paean to the place of the pianist's summer cottage, conjures a kind of creative ecstasy that carries through in the chromatically exciting colors used by the artist in creating his dynamic oil on linen paintings. There is the possibility for brilliant inspiration in obsession of this sort, from what Rutenberg himself calls being "bewitched" by the great Canadian maestro.

Rutenberg’s lush, vibrant compositions evoke a sense of rhythm, much like his musical hero and invite viewers to experience the landscape from his reverential perspective. Striking a balance between the intuitive and the observed, Rutenberg’s work seeks to forge an empathetic connection between the artist and the viewer, capturing the transformative power of art through a deeply personal and abstract lens.

Brian Rutenberg is a widely recognized American painter whose vibrant, nature-inspired abstract works have earned acclaim in both private and public collections. A graduate of the College of Charleston and the School of Visual Arts in New York, Rutenberg’s paintings draw from his childhood experiences on the South Carolina coast, incorporating influences from Celtic art, Abstract Expressionism, and his ongoing engagement with the natural world. Rutenberg’s work has been featured in over 250 exhibitions worldwide and is held in the permanent collections of numerous prominent museum collections.