New York artists
Young art from New York is the focus of an exhibition of the same title that is on display at the American Contemporary Art Gallery (Maximilianstr. 29) until February 28. The show features works by Loren Munk and Philip Smith, both of whom are not native New Yorkers, but have chosen the Big Apple as their focal point. Miami-born Smith draws his inspiration less from modern-day New York than from the ancient art and religion of Africa, Egypt and India. Employing a unique technique, he covers canvas with an oil-wax mixture and, with the help of a screwdriver, incises motifs ranging from astrological symbols to everyday objects, such as furniture or fruit. Smith sees his works, which recall prehistoric murals, as a map of his thoughts, a sort of meditative journey. Loren Munk hails from the Midwest and has spent two and a half years in Germany with the U.S. Army. In his unmistakable style, which combines Cubist forms with expressive colors and Pop Art symbols, he deals with urban imagery and the American way of life.
