Fleisher From a Distance: Painting in 3D with Claes Gabriel

Join us for a demonstration of a very unique technique the artist Claes Gabriel uses to make his colorful and bold sculptural paintings. We'll learn his process in building a the structural frame, stretching canvas on a varied angled frame, and designing and painting the sculptural piece. We'll also discuss Claes' recent foray into mural painting and his mural "Boat People." 

Claes Gabriel is a Philadelphia-based artist from Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Gabriel immigrated to the States in 1989 and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Painting and Sculpture at the Maryland Institute College of Art in 1999. His three-dimensional paintings ring with the spiritual energy of beings from folklore and his own imagined tales, capturing a deified presence in each piece. Inspired by modernists such as Frank Stella and Sam Gilliam, Gabriel's work lives beyond the confines of a flat wall; he stretches and sews canvases taut over wooden armatures to construct masks and free-standing statues. After considering the natural shape of the piece, Gabriel uses bright acrylics to pull out patterns, eyes, lips, and personality that seem to rise to the surface of their own free will. Gabriel often says he knows a piece is finished when he can bow to it.

This demonstration is open to the public with a suggested donation of $10 but is limited to maximum number of 100 participants. The tour will be hosted through Zoom, which can be accessed on desktop and laptop computers, as well as mobile devices. We highly recommend downloading the Zoom app to your device in advance. You will receive a URL to join the demonstration after you complete the registration process.