NEW YORK, NY.- Approximately 20 paintings from the 1980s and 90s by abstract artist Herman Cherry are on view at David Findlay Jr Gallery, May 5 - 26, 2012.

In the 20 years since Cherry’s death much attention has been given to his 1950s Abstract Expressionist paintings and his hard edged, pop influenced abstractions from the 1960s. Herman Cherry: Substance and Shadow brings together Cherry’s considerable, though rarely, seen abstractions from the last two decades of his life. After a self-imposed hiatus from painting throughout the 1970s, Cherry’s renewed fervor is evident in the authoritative yet deceptively simple abstractions he would create until his death in 1992.

A remarkable quality was Cherry’s persistent optimism and devotion to painting and art. He worked endlessly during his last years, maintaining all his faculties in the face of a chronic, debilitating illness. His impish idealism and innocence was always attractive to those who met him for the first time as well as to those who knew and loved him for years. He was truly a most unforgettable character and a man of remarkable personal integrity.

Herman Cherry’s aesthetic maturity and technical mastery are now at their peak, and he brings to his recent canvases a mellowness gained over decades of experimentation. Without fanfare, he has emerged as one of the most gifted colorists at work today. Cherry subjugates the emotional expressiveness of lively brushwork to allow the subjective resonance of color to make the primary impact.

Yet the canvases are far from flat or uniform in terms of color modeling; on the contrary, his hues have the lusciousness of velvet. He has stated, "I want the surface to live," which is precisely the result he has achieved. ---Helen Harrison, Arts Magazine, November 1984

Cherry's work can be found in numerous museums and corporate and private collections including The Guggenheim Museum, The Brooklyn Museum, The Berkeley Art Musem and The Walker Art Center.