About

FRANK M HERZ 6/26/1936 - 8/13/2016

Born in Dusseldorf Germany, Frank and his family escaped Nazi Germany in 1939 and emigrated to the USA.

In the early 1960's, he was a pioneer in what is now SoHo, converting commercial industrial spaces into art studio and living spaces. He was a co-founder of one of the first artist co-ops in SoHo: First called Fluxhouse Cooperative III, and then Grand Street Artists Cooperative.

ARTISTIC DEVELOPMENT

In the early 1960's I was doing welded sculpture, which were at first figurative, then developed into abstracts projecting from the wall or hung from the ceiling. I then began covering the sculptures, which were made from electrical conduit and auto tail pipes with polyurethane foam and polyester resins to introduce color. During this time I also did paper cutouts which dealt with the relationship of forms of different colors.
As a result of negative reactions to the welding and the dangerous materials used in the plastics, I decided to change my medium. I returned to the figure and did a series of silkscreens which then led to shaped canvases of figures at one and a half life size. These paintings were extremely difficult to produce and took months just to fabricate the stretchers and stretch the canvas. At this same time I was doing portraits which are also shaped, and this led to painting on shaped masonite.

From viewing my work, it will be obvious that it deals with organic forms. Though I now consider myself a painter, I am strongly influenced by sculpture. I would say that I am a painter with a sculptor's sensibility.

EDUCATION

San Francisco City Collage

Brooklyn Collage

Columbia University

New School of Social Research where I studied with,

and be came the assistant to L. Calapai the director

of the Intaglio Workshop.

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Intaglio Workshop

Walton Adult Education Center, N.Y.

Westchester Art Workshop

  EXHIBITIONS

  Mount Desert Biological Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine 2015

Makeshift Gallery, Brooklyn, NY  2006

  Loft Show Puffin Room Gallery, NYC  2006

  Soho Artists Show, Puffin Room Gallery  1996

  Organization of  Independent Artists Salon Show, NYC  1993

  Organization of  Independent Artists Salon Show, NYC  1992

  Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn, NY  1992

  Smokestacks Lightening Solo Show, NYC  1989

  Rabinovitch Gallery Invitational, NYC  1981

  "Exhibitions 1973 - 1974"

  Dorsky Gallery, NYC  1971

  Grand Street Artists Cooperative Exhibition, NYC  1970

  Westchester Art Workshop, Faculty Show, White Plaines, NY  1968

  12th Annual Brooklyn Heights Art Show, Brooklyn, NY  1966

  Spencer Memorial Church, NYC  1966

  Downtown Artists Exhibition, NYC  1965

  South Gallery, Hartford, CT.  1964

  Jason Gallery, NYC  1964

  25th Annual Exhibit of Artists, Union Carbide, NYC  1963

  Metropolitan Music School, NYC  1962

  Hicks Street Gallery, Brooklyn, NY 1961