It feels like Frank Wimberley has always been an artist to watch.
Well-established in The Hamptons for decades, it was never a surprise to see his abstract paintings appear at Guild Hall (where he's exhibited periodically since 1979 including two solo shows); Spanierman Gallery (especially when located in East Hampton), galleries directed by Arlene Bujese (Benton Gallery and her eponym gallery) as well in shows at Southampton College's Fine Art Gallery, the Elaine Benson Gallery, the Springs Invitational at Ashawagh Hall and others.
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"Blue Patch" by Frank Wimberley, 1998. Collage and mixed media on canvas, 40 x 40 inches. Courtesy Berry Campbell.
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For those who have watched his long career, Long Island was another frequent stomping ground with Wimberley's paintings appearing at the renowned Alpan Gallery and the Heckscher Art Museum, both in Huntington, the Islip Art Museum in East Hampton, NY which collects his art, as well as numerous galleries and museums across Long Island. Apart from this, Wimberely's art has been the subject of numerous solo shows across the United States, garnered critical attention by influential writers and been included in hundreds of group shows.
Now 92 years old, Frank Wimberley's art is the subject of a retrospective held at Berry Campbell gallery in Chelsea. The exhibition opened on May 30, 2019 and continues on view through July 3, 2019. The show presents work from 1980 to 2018 with nearly every year represented.
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"Stopping By" by Frank Wimberley, 2000. Acrylic on canvas, 40 x 40 inches. Courtesy Berry Campbell.
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Known for his dynamic and multi-layered paintings, Wimberley's art continues the Abstract Expressionist tradition. His art making adopts an improvisational method akin to jazz, an important part of his life and a theme in his art, the gallery points out. While spontaneous, Wimberley's decisions are deliberate and notes what emerges in relation to where the work is going, enjoying the surprises along the way.
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"Somehow, Soft Rain" by Frank Wimberley, 1995 Acrylic on canvas, 46 x 46 inches. Courtesy Berry Campbell.
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Wimberley's paintings are tactile and actively engage viewers in their strong physicality and entice truly looking at the work, frequently discovering insights arising from the textures, colors and pictorial planes of his built painted environments. After winning Top Honors at Guild Hall's Artists Members Exhibition in 2010, judged by then NY Times art critic Benjamin Genocchio, Wimberley had a solo show of his art in the museum in 2012-13.
In the show's catalogue, art critic and artist Eric Ernst wrote "...Frank Wimberley's paintings have an excitement and energy that breaks the boundaries of the canvas. His art exudes depth and passion that invigorates the viewer. One cannot help but be drawn into the lushness of the paint and the way that it is masterfully handled by this amazing artist..."
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"So Near" by Frank Wimberley, 2010. Acrylic on canvas, 50 x 50 inches. Courtesy Berry Campbell.
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A brochure with an essay has been produced for the Berry Campbell exhibition and can be viewed online by clicking here. The art can also been seen online by clicking here.
Wimberely's art is held by numerous collections including those of the Metropolitian Museum of Art (New York); Yale University Art Gallery (New Haven, CT); Parrish Art Museum (Water Mill, NY); Guild Hall (East Hampton, NY); Art Institute of Chicago (Chicago) and numerous corporate collections.
Frank Wimberely divides his time between New York and Sag Harbor, NY.
The survey at Berry Campbell is Wimberley's second retrospective. The first was held in 2004 at Sage Gallery in Albany.
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BASIC FACTS: "Frank Wimberely" is on view May 30, 2019 to July 2, 2019 at Berry Campbell,
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