Rene Fressola: Past, Present, NOW

This exhibition is a living retrospective of Rene Fressola, a painter who is predominantly self-taught. Self-expression has been modeled through his influences of Hans Hoffman, Willem DeKooning, Arshile Gorky and Frank Lobdell.  Fressola has in turn honed his own style through continued experimentation and the building of layers of marks upon the surfaces of his pieces.  He says “I don’t ever truly feel the pieces are ever complete, I always know I can go back & add more!”

 

“I see my work as a continuous mix of influences and styles which are simultaneously simplistic and complex in realization. The combination of these elements have been present in my work since its inception. I am influenced by the color in the work of Hans Hoffman, the fluid passion of Willem DeKooning, the precision of Arshile Gorky and the originality of Frank Lobdell. I am predominantly self-taught and continue to paint and define my own style through experimentation. Painting allows me to express the beauty and ugliness which exists within each of us. I enter the studio with a commitment to create new and unusual work inspired by my interactions. Generally I work spontaneously; I just start with a mark and continue to build on it, like when a dancer makes up new moves, I dance & move with the canvas and just let it lead me! Pieces can take any where from three hours to three weeks. Colors set the mood for the viewers, some serene, some dark & chaotic. I am fully influenced by the Abstract painters of the 40’s-50’s from New York and California. My mood and the music I listen to help set the tone for my sessions in the studio.”

Rene Fressola was born in 1965 in Brooklyn, New York. He began studying printmaking, photography and painting in 1979 during which time he won awards for his compositions. In 1990 he relocated to Florida where he enrolled in the International Academy of Merchandising and Design to study Interior Design with an emphasis in color theory, space planning and rendering. Fressola creates small and large-scale abstract works of mixed media on canvas, paper and wood. He is committed to creating only original work — no prints. Fressola has exhibited in over 100 solo and group exhibits and his work is held in private collections nationally and internationally. His work has been shown at galleries in Tampa, Atlanta, New York,Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles. He now lives in New Jersey w/wife Tina & their dog “Rifty” and works in Westchester, NY, doing lighting design & interiors.