Claire Lieberman & Louis Reith: Elemental

Elemental pairs two artists, Claire Lieberman and Louis Reith, based on their engaging use of materials, geometric forms, and monochromatic color palette. In both Lieberman and Reith's work, careful attention is given to the natural properties of the materials where decisions made by each artist challenge perception and elevate these materials to a higher level. They express a unique relationship between mechanical forms and nature.

Lieberman, a dedicated sculptor, crafts elegant yet complex three-dimensional forms out of marble. Through her work, the artist is engaged with playful imagery that often crosses over to precarious forms, evoking beauty, delight, and danger within each piece. Lieberman pushes the marble to exciting and thought-provoking forms with her mastery of geometry and articulation of shape. Lieberman’s works indicate the hand of an expert sculptor with each line, curve, and surface clearly articulated and brought to a high polish.  

Lieberman’s work has been reviewed in Sculpture magazine, The New York Times, Art on Paper, and ARTnews. Lieberman has received awards from The Arctic Circle, Territory of Svalbard; Seaside Institute, FL; National Endowment for the Arts; Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris; Friche La Belle de Mai, Marseilles; Künstlerhaus, Salzburg; Yaddo; and MacDowell Colony. The artist attended the Boston Museum School (BFA) and Pratt Institute (MFA with distinction).

Conversing with Lieberman’s marble sculptures are large-scale paintings and intimate works on paper by Louis Reith. Reith’s sculptural paintings are constructed of wooden panels that have been carefully carved and stained with soil. The artist divides his panels in a precise manner, leaving clean edges and depicting geometric shapes that suggest architectural structure. Reith’s work focuses on two-dimensional forms while alluding to three dimensionality, allowing positive and negative space to play an integral part in the series. Also on view by Reith are collaged works on paper created from repurposed vintage books. The composition of these works on paper echo the artist’s larger panel paintings. The vintage paper also captures a similar visual effect as the wooden panels, adding warmth to the precise lines and hard edges.

Louis Reith lives and works in Zetten, the Netherlands.  The artist received his BA from the AKI Academy for Art & Design in Enschede, NL.  He has exhibited extensively in Europe and the US. This is the artist’s first exhibition with the gallery.

Massey Klein Gallery is located at 124 Forsyth St. New York, NY 10002. 

For press inquiries or questions about works available, please contact info@masseyklein.com or call +1.917.261.4657.