Wright catalog issu2

JAZZ NUMBERS Paintings by Michael Fitzhugh Wright Sculptures by Karolina Maszkiewicz

Jazz Numbers Copyright Š 2018 by Ellsworth Gallery Cover: Coltrane, 2013, M.F. Wright, 15 x 48 in.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form by any electronic or mechanical means including photocopying, recording, or information storage and retrieval without permission in writing from the author.

ELLSWORTH GALLERY 215 East Palace Avenue Santa Fe, NM 87501 505-989-7900 www.ellsworthgallery.com email: info@ellsworthgallery.com

Printed in U.S.A. by Custom Museum Publishing 12 High Street Thomaston, ME 04861

Having served for decades as Willem de Kooning’s assistant, Michael Fitzhugh Wright worked tirelessly to develop his own unique style, saying, “I was influenced by him, but I didn’t want that influence to take over my work.” This is clearly visible in his numbers paintings from the 1990s, the elements of assemblage comprising the painted surface evoking Robert Rauschenberg as much as abstract expressionism. Equally important to Wright’s artistic development and inspiration were his years in New York spent living in an apartment beneath pianist Duke Jordan, who performed with a number of noted Jazz musicians, and rehearsed daily with Charlie Parker. Wright painted to the inventive staccatos and riffs of jazz flowing through the ceiling, which led him to develop his jazz series. The jazz series shifts from abstraction toward a lyrical figuration and marked differentiation from de Kooning.

The delight and whimsy displayed in Wright’s jazz series is echoed by the beauty of Karolina Maszkiewicz’s stabiles. The California-based artist has developed a refined palette and set of materials that have allowed her to produce works of subtle beauty, most notably in the inclusion of delicate pieces of wood. Aside from the musicality and movement, it is an abiding affection for natural beauty that unites them both.

Wing Feathers, 2005

Michael Fitzhugh Wright 96 x 66 in.

Cian, 2018

Karolina Maszkiewicz 43 x 21 x 14 in.

# 10, 1998

Michael Fitzhugh Wright 88 x 88 in.

Blue Note, 2013

Michael Fitzhugh Wright 15 x 46 in.

Charles Mingus, 2013

Michael Fitzhugh Wright 15 x 48 in.

# 15, 1998

Michael Fitzhugh Wright 96 x 94 in.

Agat, 2018

Karolina Maszkiewicz 27 x 12 x 19 in.

# 13, 1998

Michael Fitzhugh Wright 96 x 94 in.

Green Dolphin Street, 2013 Michael Fitzhugh Wright 15 x 48 in.

Melange, 2013

Michael Fitzhugh Wright 15 x 45 in.

# 3 - 4 - 8, 1998

Michael Fitzhugh Wright 80 x 66 in.

Poale, 2018

Karolina Maszkiewicz 34 x 21 x 14 in.

ELLSWORTH GALLERY Santa Fe NM