Jack Bush's Color Field Paintings Exhibited at FreedmanArt in 2012

FreedmanArt presented 'Jack Bush: New York Visit' from February 18 to April 28, 2012, at its 25 East 73rd Street location between Fifth and Madison avenues. The exhibition featured works by Canadian Color Field painter Jack Bush, whose distinctive approach balanced chromatic intensity with earthy, unrefined qualities. Critic Hilton Kramer once characterized Bush's paintings as 'a garden for the eye,' noting their unique visual impact. Bush maintained a deliberate distance from both the geometric precision and ethereal techniques of his American contemporaries. His compositions often feature awkward shapes and brushstrokes that oscillate between painterly gesture and pictorial space. The 1974 painting 'Sing Sing Sing' displays torn ribbon-like forms against a turbulent, marbled background resembling raw meat. Bush's color palette, described as intense yet unappealing, incorporates elements reminiscent of soot and chalk. This provincial quality during his active period has paradoxically made his work strikingly relevant to contemporary audiences.