Opening March 20 at Denny Gallery, New York is “Terrible Shadow,” a solo exhibition by Michael Rudokas who combines found fabrics, concealing and revealing the space behind the picture plane. Juxtaposing monochrome color and vibrant pattern, opaqueness and transparency, minimal and luxurious textures, he creates luminous surfaces that offer glimpses of hidden areas beneath, drawing attention to the constructed, sculptural, essence of painting. Rudokas approaches the painter’s stretcher as a site on which materials are assembled to create space. His materials — chiffon, denim, linen, cotton, and house paint – are found or acquired from non-art contexts. Common in clothing, curtains, bedding and upholstery, his fabric choices resonate with the viewer because of their domestic familiarity. Deeply physical and intensely sensual, Rudokas’ work transforms every day materials, inspiring both formal excavation and personal introspection.

Michael Rudokas
Untitled (Window), 2014
Cotton and chiffon
60 x 42 inches
Courtesy of Denny Gallery.

“Terrible Shadow” is on view through April 27, 2014.

For more information visit Denny Gallery, New York.