About

Statement

My work follows a lyrical path in which shape, line, and color evoke mystery and allude to realms beyond our reach. I communicate through mark-making, repetition, and the unorthodox layering of materials to create luminous, textured surfaces. I am drawn to interact with these mythical worlds, and my paintings often include abstract vessels that act as portals to the interval that exists between life and death. I also use language to bridge the gap, applying fragments of rub-on Letraset letters to create a hieroglyph beyond even my own understanding. In my experimental approach, I am constantly searching for ways to express the deepest emotions and experiences of the human condition.

My painting is infused with a personal history that includes immense loss and grief. My life journey shifted dramatically after the death of my son, who died in 2019 at the age of 26. The deep sense of loss at the death of a child left me entirely unprepared for a future without him. My studio practice has given me a place to express my grief, connect with my son who was also an artist, and find joy through the creative process. It is my hope that my paintings contain and communicate some of the joy, sorrow, and humanity of my journey.

Biography

Lisa Pressman’s artistic career is marked by exploration: testing the boundaries of the expressive potential latent in a variety of mediums, among them oil, encaustic, cold wax, and mixed-media collage. Her work is abstract, conceptually based, and process-driven. Lisa’s artworks feature marks, forms, colors and patterns that are evocative rather than overt.

Raised by parents working across creative mediums, Lisa grew up surrounded by building materials and immersed in multiple forms of cultural expression that nurtured her curiosity and aesthetic sensibility from a young age. A trip to Israel at age 12 revealed new worlds filled with an eclectic range of visual imagery, textures and colors that brought new possibilities to this young artist’s practice, bringing with it a visual acuity which served as the defining moment when she realized she was going to become an artist.

Lisa received her BA, Fine Art from Douglass College from Rutgers University, with an emphasis in ceramics and sculpture. As a graduate student she changed her emphasis from sculpture to painting, receiving her MFA in Painting from Bard College. Since then she has exhibited regionally and nationally in solo and group exhibitions at spaces such as the Cape Cod Museum of Art,(Dennis MA) The Holter Museum of Art (Helena, MT,) and Hunterdon Art Museum (Clinton,NJ ) and her work is held in numerous private and public collections. Her work is represented by Susan Eley Fine Arts (New York, NY,) Addington Gallery (Chicago, IL) and Slate Gallery (Telluride, Colorado.) The artist has a solo exhibition in New York City at Susan Eley Fine Art in NYC, December 2022.

A highly respected arts educator, Lisa maintains a vigorous teaching program. She worked on the faculty of the former Art Institute of NY, and served as a visiting professor at Pratt Institute and other universities. She has taught workshops in France, Mexico, Italy and the US. Lisa is renowned for her knowledge of encaustic, cold wax processes, concept based courses, and she presents annually at the International Encaustic Conference in Provincetown, MA. She is a core instructor for R&F Handmade Paints. As a mentor, she facilitates each artist’s voice during individual sessions to grasp the source of what these artists are seeking to capture in their artistic vision.

- Building History
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- Lisa Pressman, Painting the Light Within
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- Lisa Pressman, Open to Painting
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- The Artist Lisa Pressman, Passing Through
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“My work embodies a visual synthesis of stored memory. Personal recollections, both vivid and vague, build and decompose over time. Each painting, with its complex layered surface, elicits a visceral response, reshaping its own new history. “ LP

CV

Education

1983 MFA, Painting, Bard College, Annandale-on-the-Hudson, NY
1979 BA, Fine Arts, Ceramics and Sculpture Douglass College, Rutgers, New Brunswick, NJ

Solo Exhibits

Messages The Painting Center, New York, NY 2023
Downtown Debut Susan Eley Fine Art, New York, NY 2022
Messages, Susan Eley Fine Art, Hudson, NY 2021
New Work,Tenth Muse Gallery Maplewood, NJ 2019
The Heart of It , Jen Tough Gallery, Benicia, CA 2018
Two Person Show, Susan Eley Fine Art, New York, NY 2018
Passing Through, Causey Contemporary, New York, NY, 2015
Inside Outside, R&F Handmade Paints, Kingston, NY, 2015
Mapping a Place, Susan Eley Fine Art, New York, NY, 2014
Inside Matters, Rosenfeld Gallery, Philadelphia, PA, 2013
The Journey, Rosenfeld Gallery, Philadelphia, PA, 2011
Center for Visual Art, Summit, NJ, 2010
Jack Meir Gallery, Houston, TX, 2009
Ocean County Artist’s Guild, Island Heights, NJ, 2008
Block Gallery, Montclair, NJ, 2007
Present and Past, Goat Café Gallery, South Orange, NJ, 2006
Introductions, Jack Meier Gallery, Houston, TX, 2005
From the past, Philips Lighting Gallery, Somerset, NJ, 2005
New Work, Classic Design Gallery, Maplewood, NJ, 2004
Time Will Tell, Pierro Gallery of South Orange, South Orange, NJ, 2003
Midwinter Show, Sharon Gill, Montclair, NJ, 2002
New Work, Simon Gallery, Morristown, NJ, 2001
Park Avenue Club, Florham Park, NJ, 1999
Recent Work, Watchung Arts Center, Watchung, NJ, 1996
Images, Marks, Dreams and Words, MCA, Rutherford, NJ, 1995

Two Person Exhibitions

Virtual Conversations, Tubac School of Art, Tubac, AZ 2021
Two Painters Talking, Collaboration with Sara Mast, The Holter Museum of Art, Helena, MT 2017
Passing Instances, Collaboration with Krista Svalbonas, Gallery x, The Visual Arts Center, Summit, NJ 2017
Shifting Time, Collaboration with Krista Svalbonas, ISE, New York, NY, 2014
Mapping Time: Collaboration, Firehouse Gallery, Orange, NJ, 201
Jack Meier Gallery, Houston, TX, 2008
Jack Meier Gallery, Houston, TX, 2007
Jack Meier Gallery, Houston, TX, 2005
Seton Hall University School of Law, Newark, NJ, 2001
Simon Gallery, Morristown, NJ, 1998
Postcards, Chubb Group of Insurance, Warren, NJ, 1997

Selected Group Exhibitions

2023
Messages, The Painting Center, New York, NY 2023
2020
TerraChroma, Addington Gallery, Chicago, IL
Paper Trail, Susie Eley Fine Art, New York, NY
Expressions in Wax curated by Tracy Leavitt, Arts Mid-Hudson Gallery Poughkeepsie, NY
2019
Inside the Rectangle, Cobalt Gallery, Provincetown, MA
Patterns of Influence, The Painting Center, New York, NY
The Unusuals,, The Painting Center, New York, NY
Group Show, Addington Gallery, Chicago, IL
Sense of Place, Ice Gallery, Monmouth University, Monmouth ,NJ
2018
Introductions, OTA Contemporary, Sante Fe, NM
Some Like it Hot, Rye Arts Center, Rye, NY
Organic to Geometric, Part 2, Provincetown Art Association & Museum,Provincetown, MA
Untitled, Susan Eley Fine Art, New York, New York
2017
Free Passage, Addington Gallery, Chicago, IL
Re-Imagine Everything, J Cacciola Gallery, Bernardsville, NJ
Black Tie, Adam Peck Gallery, Provincetown, MA
Depth Perception, The Cape Cod Museum of Art, Dennis, MA
2016
Artists of the Year, The Curator Gallery, New York, NY
Femme Forte, The Curator Gallery, New York, NY
Paper, The Curator Gallery, New York, NY
2015
Contrasting Abstractions, Gallery 14, Morristown, NJ
Encaustic in Contemporary Art, The Curator Gallery, New York, NY
The Concise Line, Gallery X, Truro Center for the Arts, Truro, NY
One Plus One, A Gallery, Provincetown, MA
Arte Internazionale, Pallazo Dell’Annunziata, Matera, Italy, Curator: Pino Nicoletti (catalogue)
The Spaces Between, Butters Gallery, Portland, OR
2014
A Tangled Web, Causey Contemporary, New York, NY
Emerge Art Fair, Causey Contemporary, Washington, DC
Inner Journeys, Julie Heller Gallery, Provincetown, MA
Swept Away: Translucence, Transparence, Transcendence in Contemporary Encaustic, Hunterdon Art Museum, Clinton, NJ
2013
Infused, Butters Gallery, Portland Oregon
Shape Shifting, Susan Eley Gallery, New York, NY
Swept Away: Translucence, Transparence, Transcendence in Contemporary Encaustic, The Cape Cod Museum of Art, Dennis, MA. Curated by Michael Giaquinto
Elephant in the Room Laconia Gallery, Boston, MA
Group Show, Western Carolina State University Museum, Cullowhee, NC
Wax is Hot, Amy Simon Gallery, West Port, CT
2012
From Where I Stand, Rye Arts Center, Rye, NY
Merge, Printmaking/Encaustic Castle Hill Gallery, Truro, MA
Wax: Medium Meets Message, Morean Arts Center, St. Petersburg, FL
2011
Kindred Spirits, Schiltkamp Gallery, Clark University, Worcester, MA
Making their Mark, Susan Eley Fine Art, New York, NY
The Affordable Art Fair, Anelle Gandelman Fine Art, New York, NY
2010
NJ Arts Annual, “Reality & Artifice,” New Jersey State Museum, Trenton, NJ
Small Gems, Butters Gallery, Portland, OR
Illusive Balance: Transcendental Pattern and Layered Surface, Mary H. Dana Women Artists Series, New Brunswick, NJ
2009
Recent Encaustic Painting USC, Upstate Gallery, Spartanburg, SC
Gaelen Gallery, West Orange, NJ
Encaustic Wax, An Ancient Medium Rediscovered, Watchung Arts Center, Watchung, NJ
Connections George Segal Gallery, Montclair, NJ
2008
Group Show, Bennet Gallery, Atlanta, GA
Small Works, Rosenfeld Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Group Show, Rye Art Gallery, Rye, NY
New Talent, Rosenfeld Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
“Bee-ing,” Arts Guild of Rahway, Rahway, NJ
2007
Encaustic Show, Montclair Library, Montclair, NJ
2006
Winter Salon, CDF Gallery, Maplewood, NJ
Small Jewels, L Ross Gallery, Memphis, TN
Local Color, Art Space 129, Montclair, NJ
Navigation, Art Gotham, New York, NY
Beneath the Surface, Art Forms Gallery, Red Bank. NJ
About Drawing, Montclair Library, Montclair, NJ
2004
Group Show, Classic Design Gallery, Maplewood, NJ
Drawing Show, Beshert Gallery, Montclair, NJ
Synopsis @10, Pierro Gallery of South Orange, South Orange, NJ
2003
Color and Concept, Seton Hall University School of Law, Newark, NJ
2002
21st Annual Metro Show, City Without Walls Gallery, Newark, NJ, Curators: Joyce Korotin, Patterson Sims, Lauren Wittels
Group Show, Confident Gallery, St Petersburg, FL
2001
When Two Becomes One, City Without Walls Gallery, Newark, NJ, Curator: Peter Tilgner
2000
Essex Exposed, Gallery of South Orange, NJ Jurors: Jim Murray, Yoalnd Skeete, Greg Smith
CWW 25th Anniversary Show, Seton Hall University School of Law, Newark, NJ Curator: Stephen Sennot
1999
18th ANNUAL METRO SHOW, City Without Walls Gallery, Newark, NJ, Jurors: Alejandro Anreus, Victor Davson, Judy Wukitsch
Chromatically Speaking, Seton Hall University School of Law, Newark, NJ, Curator: Stephen Sennot
1998
Works on Paper, Simon Gallery, Morristown, NJ
Heart Works, Gallery R, New York, NY, Curator: Sharon Gill
Dark, City Without Walls Gallery, Newark, NJ, Curator: Joan Vaccaro
1997
The World With Perforations, Watchung Art Center, Watchung, NJ Curator: Thom Lynch
1996
Colors and Conundrums, Seton Hall University School of Law, Newark, NJ Curator: Stephen Sennot
1993
“JANUS, God of the Doorway,” Williams Carlos Williams Center for the Arts, Rutherford, NJ, Curator: Stephen Sennot
1992
Ellarslile Open XL, Trenton City Museum, Trenton, NJ
Women in Abstraction, Broadway Mall Gallery, New York, NY Curator: Michelle Bonelli
1991
Geometric Abstraction/Masked Media, City Without Walls Gallery, Newark, NJ Curator: Deborah Swack

Professional

Curator The Blue Show, The Painting Center, New York NY 2019
Curator Sense of Place, Monmouth University, Monmouth, NJ 2018
Educator for Universities and Art Centers nationally and internationally 2012-2023
Demonstration and Workshop Teacher, The International Encaustic Conference, Provincetown, MA 2010-present
Presenter and Curator of The Encaustic Studio: A digital look into artist’s studios from around the country.
The International Encaustic Conference, Provincetown, MA 2010-13
Juror, Member Show, West Orange Arts Council, West Orange, NJ 2010
Juror Member Show Edison Arts Society, Edison, NJ 2008

Corporate Collections/Commissions

Harvest Group. Post 390 Restaurant
Evergreen Spot Trading Corporation, N
Hyatt Regency, Atlanta, GA
McKinsey Financial Corporation, NY
0mni Hotel and Resort, FL
Pierre’s Restaurant, NJ
Rumson International, NJ
Restaurant Serenade, NJ
Sun Chemical Corporation, NJ
Vatche Simonian, Inc., NJ
Zais Group, NJ

Visiting Artist Lectures

Source Material. University of Michigan Kalamazoo, MI, 2016
Wax: Medium Meets Message, Morean Arts Center, St Petersburg, FL, 2012 Artist Talk
Kindred Spirits, Schiltkamp Gallery, Clark University, Worcester, MA, 2010 Artist Talk
Illusive Balance: Transcendental Pattern and Layered Surface, Mary H. Dana Women Artists Series, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 2010 Artist Talk
Who Does She Think She is? Panel Discussion about movie by Pamela Tanner Bell, St. Elizabeth’s College, Madison, NJ, 2009

Bibliography

Crowell, Rebecca, and Mcglaughlin, Jerry “Cold Wax Medium”
Anne Lee & E. Ashley Rooney. Anne Lee & E. Ashley Rooney.
Woods,Lynn, “Art as Fresh as Spring”, Kingston Times, 20, 2015
Seed, John, “Ten Memorable Paintings from 2014″, Huffington Post, December 22,2014
Bishoff, Dan, “ Mapping Time”, Star Ledger, March 31 , 2013
Institute for Women and Art, 40 years of Women in Art at Douglass Library, May 2012
Allen, Randy, “Wax is Hot,” , Tampa Bay Art, March 2012
Gottard, Luis “Wax: Medium Meets Message at the Morean Arts Center,” Art Taco, March 2012
Newhall, Edith “Meticulous and Abstract, they’re back on the Scene” Philadelphia Inquirer, January 2011
Brierly, Susan, “The Art of The Party” Park Place Magazine, March 2010
Seed, John, Studio Visits, Huffington Post, December 2010
Interview: R&F Artist of the Month, R&F Handmade Paints, November 2009
Tobin, Nancy, West of Chelsea: Lisa Pressman, The New York Times, August 2009
Contemporaries-eleven abstract painters on slideshare.net, July 2009
LePoidevin, Michelle H. “The Franks Flourish” Westfield Leader, 2002
Bischoff, Dan “Art”, Star Ledger, Feb 1998
Birnbaum, Cata, “Out and About”, NJ Monthly, December 1996
Filler, Marion, “Get Close to Work of Four Artists” Daily Record, December 1996
“Spotlighting Four Women Artists” Daily Record, December 1996
Watkins, Eileen, “Art,” Star Ledger, July 1995
Devlin, John, “In the Towns” Star Ledger, July 1995
Hall, Meredith, “Women Assume Their Place”, ART SPEAK, December 1992