Reception: Saturday, September 7th, 5-7pm
Exhibition: September 7 – November 2, 2019

Leslie Sacks Gallery is pleased to present a solo exhibition by acclaimed sculptor, Jon Krawczyk and his recent brilliantly colored, geometric stainless-steel sculptures. This is Krawczyk’s first exhibition since the devastating Woosley Fire in California destroyed his Malibu residence and studio in November 2018. The exhibition will present a range of work including large-scale, gem-like sculptures at 5-8 feet and smaller to mid-scale works.

The tragedy of the Woolsey Fire coupled with a recent commission compelled a shift in Jon Krawczyk’s aesthetic into geometric compositions swathed with electrifying pops of color. This fresh perspective coalesced with his keen eye for form and balance to yield a dynamic new body of work. Undeniably, it is the arresting color in these works, which immediately impresses upon first sight. In the aftermath of the fire within the canyon he lived and worked, Krawczyk and his family spread 250lbs of wildflower seeds across the scorched land. In the spring of 2019 when the wildflowers began to bloom, their vibrant color and natural beauty blanketed the once barren, colorless landscape now giving birth to a renewed sense of optimism that the once thriving canyon would come back to life. It was a truly powerful and transformative process for Krawczyk and his family and neighbors.

The synergy of Krawczyk’s gleaming silver surfaces, infused with an eye-popping neon palette produces quite the impact. He credits Anish Kapoor’s Cloud Gate (better known as The Bean) in Chicago as a great influence and the origin of his incorporation of polished metal into his work. He’s drawn in by the environmental engagement of the reflections, as well as the public accessibility and playfulness it engenders. The ultra-polished planes of Krawczyk’s work brilliantly add exponential dimension both aesthetically and conceptually within the environments they reside. They possess an infinite spectrum of perception and interaction.  The work is purely abstract with an emotional undercurrent. Krawczyk is interested in the inescapable conversation between viewer, sculpture and environs. The intersection of levity and design, consequence and form are central to his work.  Color in Bloom is imbued with these ideas along with a sentiment of growth through adversity and embracing uncertain yet profound opportunities inspired by change.

Jon Krawczyk was born in Boonton, New Jersey and graduated from Connecticut College in 1992. It was his father’s love of sculpture that drew him to the medium. He studied fine art throughout Europe before moving west to California in the 1990s. Early in his career he apprenticed with many acclaimed sculptors and icons of the second generation of great American metal sculptors. Over the last 20 years Krawczyk has parlayed these significant experiences into his aesthetic and studio practice. Jon Krawczyk has exhibited in several galleries across the United States and placed in many prestigious private art collections around the world. Several of Jon Krawczyk’s most recent projects are large-scale, site-specific, public art installations at high profile locations in Silicon Valley-San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle-Bellevue, Los Angeles-Beverly Hills, Metropolitan New York, and New Jersey.

Leslie Sacks Gallery is located in Santa Monica at the Bergamot Station Arts Center, 2525 Michigan Avenue, Suite B6. Gallery hours are Tuesday-Friday 10-6, Saturday 11-6. For more information visit lesliesacks.com, email gallery@lesliesacks.com or call 310 264 0640.