Stephen Harvey, Gwen Hardie, and Richard Walker present solo exhibitions in New York galleries

Three solo exhibitions by Stephen Harvey, Gwen Hardie, and Richard Walker are currently on view at New York galleries. Stephen Harvey's 'FLIGHTS' at Gallery Schlesinger, running until December 17, features large-scale nude paintings where mirror reflections create ambiguous, dynamic compositions. His work, evolving from a 1990s blue period, now employs vibrant colors like crimson and turquoise, with influences from Paul Georges, Philip Pearlstein, and Lucian Freud. Gwen Hardie's 'FACE PAINTINGS 2005' at Dinter Fine Art, until December 23, presents three large canvases isolating facial features to blend intimacy with alienation, referencing psychoanalysis and Buddhism. Richard Walker's 'BEACON ROAD PAINTINGS' at Alexandre Gallery, until December 30, showcases small plein-air landscapes inspired by a residency at the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation, reflecting American influences like Lois Dodd and Alex Katz. The exhibitions highlight diverse approaches to figurative and landscape painting, with Harvey focusing on perceptual games, Hardie on abstracted portraiture, and Walker on swift observational landscapes. The article originally appeared in the New York Sun on December 8, 2005.