Staff Reports | Happenings & Events
Bonner David Galleries will open Reverie in Paint, a new exhibition by artist Francis Livingston, on Wednesday, May 14, at its New York City location, 4 E. 81st St.
The exhibition presents Livingston’s interpretations of New York City architecture through memory, history and abstraction, rather than literal representation, according to a press release.
Mr. Livingston’s connection to New York City began during childhood visits from his rural home in the western United States, where he was drawn to the city’s scale, energy and architectural forms.
“It was unlike anything I had ever seen,” Francis Livingston said. “People can be hesitant about New York, but I’ve always felt comfortable there. For me, it’s a completely unique place and I love the shapes and proportions of the bridges and buildings.”
In Reverie in Paint, Livingston focuses on older architectural elements rather than contemporary development. Using a combination of personal photography, archival images, imagined compositions and lived experience, his paintings merge historical references with expressive color and abstraction.
“I’m not interested in the shiny, new version of the city,” Mr. Livingston said. “It’s the older architecture—the proportions, the fire escapes, the tall windows, the double doors. Those elements have a kind of rhythm and geometry that I approach almost abstractly,” Mr. Livingston said.
Bridges are a recurring subject throughout the exhibition, including depictions of the Brooklyn Bridge, the Manhattan Bridge and the Queensboro Bridge. Smaller structures, such as pedestrian bridges in Central Park, also appear as compositional studies framed by seasonal landscapes.
The body of work reflects a restrained color palette dominated by blues and greens, accented by subtle reds and pinks. Livingston experiments with heavier paint application and greater interpretive freedom, producing works that balance architectural structure with expressive movement.
“This show is a bit different for me,” Mr. Livingston said. “I’m taking more liberties. I feel more free,” Mr. Livingston said.
Livingston alternates between urban subjects and Southwestern landscapes in his practice, noting that time spent working in dense urban environments influences his approach when returning to open spaces in the West.
Reverie in Paint will open with a public reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 14. Livingston is scheduled to attend.
The exhibition invites viewers to experience Livingston’s personal interpretation of New York City, shaped by memory, emotion and abstraction.
