Suite Five Salon announces a new installation of work by Bay Area painter Cornelia Schulz, April 3–May 31, 2008. An opening reception will be held on Thursday, April 3 from 6:00 to 7:30pm.

Schulz’s paintings are sophisticated puzzle-like combines that are as much about sculpture as they are about painting. Schulz plays with the tradition of “shaped canvases,” a term that refers to two-dimensional paintings that do not conform to a rectangular configuration. Schulz mounts individual blocks of painted canvas on to irregularly shaped boards, and then joins them into one cohesive, integrated whole.

Different techniques and materials, such as coating the canvas with alkyd (a polyester-based resin), dripping oil paint, and spilling pools of ink, coupled with a subtle but still intense color palette offer elements of surprise within a carefully considered, tightly controlled structure. By deviating from the rectangle, Schulz is able to extend her imagery beyond the confines of four linear “walls.” However, the juxtapositions within the paint surfaces and the elegant, biomorphic patterns draw the viewer deeper into each individual form, creating a subtle tension between the painting’s external edge and its internal contradictions.

For more information about Cornelia Schulz and her work, you may also visit Patricia Sweetow Gallery.

Suite Five Salon features bimonthly, rotating art installations highlighting contemporary artists from San Francisco. The salon holds free bimonthly openings in conjunction with downtown’s First Thursdays. Please contact 415-362-5005 for more information.