For artists working within the realm of geometric abstraction, understanding the weight of art history is vital. The hard-edge lines, a keen understanding of color theory, and structured patterns—all form part of a visual language that has evolved over a century. Artists today, when approaching geometric abstraction, face a unique tension. On the one hand, they inherit the legacy of giants such as Piet Mondrian, Wassily Kandinsky, Josef Albers, and Kazimir Malevich, whose works laid the foundation for what we understand as “geometric art.” On the other hand, the question looms large: How does one continue to make geometric abstraction in 2024?
It’s a question that can feel burdensome for a younger artist, staking their territory in an already crowded field. The contemporary market often attempts to recode its imagery with catchphrases or concepts that reflect the political and social climate. But for an artist with decades of experience, it’s less about repurposing history for the sake of fashion. Instead, it’s about confronting one’s own personal history and sharing or giving an update, even if that shift is subtle and precise. For Gary Petersen, it’s less about following trends and more about offering a considered evolution of his own language—one that still engages with the past without being defined by it.
Petersen’s work, in his recent exhibition The Shape of Walking, provides a bold, non-didactic way forward. His paintings invite viewers to reconsider the very nature of geometric abstraction while reflecting on his own evolving artistic journey. In The Shape of Walking, Petersen thoughtfully navigates the legacy of geometric abstraction while engaging with the tension between art history and personal vision.
Drawing on influences from early and modern geometric abstraction—artists like Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildewart, Bernard Herzog, Fritz Glarner, Carmen Herrera, Sol LeWitt, and Ellsworth Kelly—Petersen’s work doesn’t simply replicate these precedents. Rather, he employs their principles and takes a step in addressing a larger question about the relevance of abstraction in today’s context. His work is not bound by art history but instead challenges its boundaries, especially as they intersect with contemporary issues like technology, culture, and the increasingly fluid space between reality and simulation.
One striking feature of Petersen’s new work is its visual interplay between shallow, layered space and the illusionary nature of perception. His paintings evoke an element of the digital age, where the distinctions between reality and illusion are often blurred. The colors shift between muted, washed-out tones and vibrant foreground hues, creating an interplay of depth and flatness that speaks to the complexity of contemporary experience. An example of this is in the work Under Cover from 2024. The more vibrant hues and movements of shapes seem to echo the muted linear passages, which seem to recede. Yet the ‘background’ passages help move dominant vibrant shapes that keep the overall composition fluid and consistent.
In other areas of his paintings, Petersen introduces us to a distinct vertical or horizontal divide that disrupts the flow of the composition, creating a “glitchy” or stutter-like effect. A good case for this argument is Standing There, also from 2024, acrylic on canvas. This vertical break in the surface plane introduces a sense of repetition with subtle variations in his quirky shapes, form and color. The stutter resembles, yet not all the same. It’s a motif that echoes the shifting dynamics of today’s digital and technological realities, where familiar patterns are constantly disrupted by the introduction of slight, often imperceptible changes. The paintings’ elongated vertical orientation is somewhat reminiscent of the proportions of a mobile device. The result is a work that feels both sweeping and interrupted, mirroring the fragmented yet continuous experience of our modern life.
GARY PETERSEN: The Shape of Walking at McKenzie Fine Art
September 11 – October 20, 2024
About the writer: Artist and educator Riad Miah was born in Trinidad and lives and works in New York City. He has exhibited in the Tri-state area and abroad. He has contributed to Two Coats of Paint, the Brooklyn Rail, Vasari 21, and Art Savvy.