In his most recent series of paintings, Michael Rudokas combines found fabrics, concealing and revealing the space behind the picture plane. Juxtaposing monochrome color and vibrant pattern, opaqueness and transparency, minimal and luxurious textures, he creates luminous surfaces that offer glimpses of hidden areas beneath, drawing attention to the constructed, sculptural, essence of painting. Rudokas approaches the painter’s stretcher as a site on which materials are assembled to create space. His materials — chiffon, denim, linen, cotton, and house paint — are found or acquired from non-art contexts. Common in clothing, curtains, bedding and upholstery, his fabric choices resonate with the viewer because of their domestic familiarity. Deeply physical and intensely sensual, Rudokas’ work transforms every day materials, inspiring both formal excavation and personal introspection.
Michael Rudokas received his MFA from Hunter College in New York City and his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Visual Art from Marlboro College in Vermont. This is his first solo exhibition with Denny Gallery, following his exhibition in the group show Works Off Canvas in the summer of 2013.
