Paul Resika and Louis Finkelstein Exhibitions in East Hampton and New York City

Paul Resika's paintings from 1993-2003 are on view at Vered Gallery in East Hampton, New York until August 6, 2003. His work, characterized by sensual pleasure and lyrical compositions, draws from a tradition including Milton Avery and Hans Hofmann's students like Wolf Kahn and Robert De Niro, Sr. The exhibition avoids formula by presenting diverse subjects, including the 2001-02 painting "Dark Lady" shown publicly for the first time. Resika's canvases display a hard-won density in works like "Blue Creation" (2001) and "Divine Geometry" (2002), with the latter recalling Dürer's "Melancholia." Meanwhile, Louis Finkelstein's pastels from 1990-1999 are exhibited at Lori Bookstein Fine Art in New York City until July 25, 2003. Finkelstein's late works show sublime moments with rushed awkwardness, using collage techniques that lend them cut-throat bravura. His color approach could be seen as either instinctive or schematic, creating intriguing spatial effects. The article originally appeared in The Sun on July 24, 2003.