1½ col lotus

Andrew Stevovich (b 1948), “Woman Drinking at the Blue Lotus,” 2004, oil on linen, 24 by 16 inches.

1½ col

Andrew Stevovich, “Movie Lobby,” 2005, oil on linen, 15 by 15 inches.

photos scanned 9-11, typesetting copy

MUST RUN 9/21

ANDREW STEVOVICH TO OPEN AT ADELSON GALLERIES OCT. 2 w/2 cuts

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NEW YORK CITY — Artist Andrew Stevovich’s work will be the subject of several exhibitions this fall, starting at Adelson Galleries October 2–November 3. “Andrew Stevovich: Petals on a Bough” will feature approximately 25 works created since 2004 and will then travel to Lincoln, Mass., to the Clark Gallery November 7–29. A retrospective of the artist’s work will also be held this fall at the Danforth Museum of Art in Framingham, Mass., October 24–December 2.

“I have represented Andrew for over 25 years, and we are especially pleased to present his exhibition in our new gallery space,” says Warren Adelson, president of Adelson Galleries. “Wherever one sees a painting of his, Andrew’s works speak best for themselves.”

Although one might not immediately consider a Stevovich painting as a abstract, the artist describes his work as such. “In my paintings I…try to reduce the psychological narrative, particularly in terms of the figures’ facial expressions. I am trying to express a lot with only the most minimal suggestion — so it is abstract in the sense of eliminating unnecessary detail,” he said.

With an overriding theme of isolation in his paintings — a sense of disconnection that can be felt while surrounded by a crowd, for instance — Stevovich’s people communicate with their eyes and seem to represent “everyman” or “everywoman.” The artist has said that he prefers to leave the interpretation of his works to the viewer, only asking that the person spend time looking closely at a painting in order to “see all the elements that are at play and the many different levels on which the painting is operating…and…see that it is not as simple as it first appeared.”

Inspired by early Renaissance paintings as well as Twentieth Century Surrealism, Austrian-born and American-raised, Stevovich is meticulous in his eye for detail and color. Scenes of crowds of people on city buses and subways, at theaters and racetracks, are among his frequent subjects; yet even when he depicts a lone individual, Stevovich enlivens the scene with painstakingly detailed backdrops including lush grape arbors, vibrant fall leaves and other geometrically complex designs.

With more than 30 solo exhibitions and over 50 group exhibitions, Stevovich’s work is found in the collections of such institutions as the Museum of Fine Art, Boston; Boston Athenaeum; Boston Public Library; Portland Museum of Art, Portland, Maine; and Estonian Art Museum (Eesti Kuntstimuuseumi), Tallin, Estonia; as well as other museums.

Assisting Warren Adelson in organizing “Andrew Stevovich: Petals on a Bough” is Caroline Owens Crawford, associate director at Adelson Galleries.

In addition to the three exhibitions this fall, a monograph, Andrew Stevovich: Essential Elements (Hard Press Editions, $65) will be published in October with texts by Novelist Anita Shreve, John Sacret Young and Valerie Ann Leeds.

Adelson Galleries is at 19 East 82nd Street. For information, 212-439-6800 or www.adelsongalleries.com.