(Houston, TX, October 19, 2019) – Laura Rathe Fine Art announces a joint exhibition featuring new works by renowned Houston based artist, Nicola Parente and Seattle based artist, Michael Schultheis. LRFA will be hosting the opening reception and artist’s talk on Saturday, October 19th from 6-9pm at their 2707 Colquitt Street gallery.
Art challenges our way of thinking, providing a universal vessel for interpreting and communicating our complex daily realities. This joint exhibition showcases two attempts to unravel these complexities and their deeper, underlying interconnections through unique forms of abstract expressionism.
In a body of work marked by urban-inspired gestural fluidity, Houston favorite, Parente explores the interplay between fluid and static elements in today’s urban tapestry. Parente’s paintings and new body of photographic work engage the viewer in an unspoken dialogue that struggles to untangle our chaotic encounters within the urban environment and explore the aspects of life that our eyes cannot readily process.
Similar in complexity, Schultheis uses intricate mathematical mark-making to create mindscapes that transport the eye across the canvas in a style that he calls “analytical expressionism”. His sculptural work finds itself equally intriguing, highlighting the balance and form that provide the underlying basis of mathematics. Schultheis’ expressive works reflect the abstract world of numbers and boldly invite the viewer to consider the relationships between geometric models and the human experience.
This joint exhibition will be on display through November 29, 2019.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
NICOLA PARENTE- A Houston resident for 29 years, Italian American artist Nicola Parente currently works out of his studio at Winter Street Studios. Working in a variety of media (painting, photography, installations, and textile design), he engages the viewer in dialogues of human encounter within the urban environment. Parente’s works can be seen in public and private collections in the United States, Mexico, Spain, Italy, Germany, and Ethiopia. He obtained a BS from King’s College (PA) and a Master’s degree from the University of St. Thomas (TX).
MICHAEL SCHULTHEIS- Seattle-based artist Michael Schultheis finds inspiration and elegance in the world of analytics. Schultheis has a background in mathematics and economics, giving his wildly colored abstract paintings the appearance of chalkboards filled progressively with notations and illustrations. In addition to his representation with several galleries nationwide, Schultheis has exhibited at the National Academies, the Rotunda Gallery at the National Academy of Sciences, Oregon State University, and The United States Embassy, Athens, Greece.
ABOUT LAURA RATHE FINE ART
With over 25 years’ experience in the industry, gallery owner, Laura Rathe, started her career working as a private art dealer before establishing Laura Rathe Fine Art (LRFA) in 1998 in Houston, Texas. LRFA now operates out of two locations in Houston and a third gallery in Dallas on Dragon Street, the city’s premiere arts district destination. Since the gallery's inception, LRFA has established itself as a leading contemporary art venue, offering an impressive range of exhibitions and programming to its patrons in both cities.
LRFA represents a dynamic roster of established and mid-career contemporary artists working in a variety of media, many of whom have been acquired into world-renowned private, corporate, and museum collections. Various clientele includes BBVA Compass, HKS Architects, Wells Fargo, W Hotels, UT Southwestern, Halliburton, and ConocoPhillips. LRFA also participates in a number of prominent art fairs including CONTEXT Art Miami, Art Southampton, Art Wynwood, Texas Contemporary, and the Dallas Art Fair.