s t a t e m e n t
STATEMENT
My personal fascination with mountains grew out of my formative years in the dramatic landscape of Switzerland, and has continued to evolve and deepen through immersive research, hiking and climbing trips. The awe and humility these experiences generate is paid homage in my large-scale works, intimate studies, digital experiments, and collection of geological samples.
Recent work focuses on the primal alpine landscape as metaphor, geological time and place beyond personal or general human scale.
PHILOSOPHY
I’m interested in how we perceive, how scale changes that perception, how images and objects can be understood in various ways, and how a sense of place can be expressed.
Topographic maps define geography, the features of landforms. Symbolic and abstract reasoning enables us to see depiction as a representation of ideas; Alfred Korzybski’s assertion: “the map is not the territory,” and René Magritte’s “This is Not a Pipe” have prompted similar thoughts in my use of manipulated topographical/geological maps to underscore perceiving a thing in different forms of depiction.
Digital tools allow possibilities that in other mediums would be problematic. Manipulating and distorting elements highlight the abstract nature of cartography, and simultaneously symbolize our interaction with our environment.
Landscapes affect us physically, chemically, and psychologically; they resonate with genetically encoded instincts of which we are not conscious. Most of us in the developed world have transferred direct immersion in the power of landscape into abstract environmental concerns and digital experience. We have distanced ourselves. Using digital manipulation to make landscape-based images to reflect on that distance is an embrace of irony.
MEDIUMS
Most of my work has been hand-drawn or painted on a variety of substrates, including paper, canvas, wood, and aluminum. Any medium is fuel for experimentation, including hand-ground charcoal, acrylic, transfer print, graphite, resin, as well as digital explorations. I consider them all tools for mark-making, allowing me a variety of methods to build forms and images.
The current series of drawings/paintings on wood panels focuses on simple, common materials; pencils and acrylic paint. They are immediate. Carefully chosen wood allows the grain patterns to integrate with the compositions, and in turn compositions are driven by the patterns. The parallel between lines of topography indicating elevation (space) and the grain of various woods indicating age (time), is compelling.
The stark patterns of snow and ice against the dark rocks allows the natural elements to define the compositions, the monochrome values accentuating the terrain. Traditional rendering, cross-hatching, and use of different pencils to build depth, is contrasted by the dramatic, flat washes of white acrylic.
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Awards/Fellowships
National Endowment for the Arts - Washington, DC Visual Artists Fellowship, 1987
Ohio Arts Council - Columbus, OH Individual Artist Fellowship, 1984, 1987, 1991, 1993, 2023
Solo Exhibitions
Huntington Convention Center, Cleveland OH 2019
Galleries at Cleveland State University, Cleveland OH 2018
Tregoning & Co. Cleveland OH 2017
American Greetings, Gallery W, Westlake OH 2017
Hungarian Heritage Museum, Cleveland OH 2016, 1998
Ingenuityfest – Cleveland OH 2013
Walken Art – Cleveland OH 2010
Elevation Art – Cleveland OH 2008, 2006
Thrive-an artspace – Cleveland OH 2006, 2005, 2004
Intown Club - Cleveland OH 2000, 1995
Ziegenfuss Gallery of Fine Art - Sarasota FL 1996
Umpqua Valley Arts Center - Roseburg OR 1993
Scheider Gallery - Toronto Ontario 1993, 1988
Jewish Community Center - Cleveland OH 1992
Sande Webster Gallery - Philadelphia PA 1991, 1989
Robert Kidd Gallery - Birmingham MI 1990, 1988, 1985, 1984
Mary Bell Galleries - Phoenix AZ & Chicago IL 1992, 1989, 1988
University Hospitals - Cleveland OH 1989
Foster Harmon Galleries - Sarasota FL 1989
Sandusky Cultural Center - Sandusky OH 1988
Sanford Gallery, Clarion University - Clarion PA 1984
Art Gallery, Kent State University - Kent OH 1984
Museum of Contemporary Art - Cleveland OH 1983
Curated Invitationals
Walker Fine Art, Denver CO Untethered 2025
Walker Fine Art, Denver CO Nomadic Daydreams 2024
Yards Project, Cleveland OH On Line: Drawing Our Reality 2023
The Gallery at Lakeland, Kirtland OH Big @ss @rt Show 2023
Walker Fine Art, Denver CO Environmental Reflections 2022
Trumbull Art Gallery, Warren OH Six Artists, Six Visions 2021
Cleveland Institute of Art Alumni Exhibition 2021
Walker Fine Art Land Lines, 2020
Curtis Center for the Arts, Denver CO Mountains, 2019 - 2020
Canton Museum of Art, Canton OH Creative Roots 2019 – 2020
Heights Art, Cleveland OH Untouched, 2019
Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland OH Faculty Exhibition, 2013 - 2023
Massillon Museum, Massillon OH Readapt, 2016
Wasmer Gallery at Ursuline College, Cleveland OH The Drawing Show, 2015
Whitespace Contemporary, Ogden UT New Visions of the West, 2014
Bonfoey Gallery, Cleveland OH Altered Scapes, 2014
Tregoning & Co. Cleveland OH Fresh From The Studio, 2013
Ingenuity Fest, Cleveland OH Feeds, 2012
Canton Art Museum - Cleveland OH Pencil Me In, 2011
Cleveland State University, Cleveland OH On The Wall, 2007
Elevation Art, Cleveland OH Image System, 2006
Cleveland State University, Cleveland OH Momento Mori, 2005
Cleveland Artists Foundation, Lakewood Ohio Hungarians at the Easel, 2003
BK Smith Gallery, Lake Erie College - Painesville OH Two-Faced: Portrait Duets, 2002
Riffe Gallery, Ohio Arts Council, Columbus OH Paper Routes 2001
Kenyon College Art Museum, Kenyon OH Paper Routes 2001
Southern Ohio Museum – Portsmouth OH Paper Routes 2000
Wooster College Art Gallery – Wooster OH Paper Routes 2000
Hungarian Heritage Museum – Cleveland OH Hungarian American Artists, 1999
Museum of Contemporary Art - Cleveland OH ArtSeen, 1996, 1997
Spaces - Cleveland OH Members Show, 1997, 1998
Mansfield Art Center - Mansfield OH Architectural Details, 1995
Virginia Miller Gallery - Coral Gables FL Director’s Choice, 1990
Inter Art Gallerie Reich - Cologne Germany Invitational, 1989
Gallery Henoch - New York NY Works on Paper, 1987, 1986
Fendrick Gallery - Washington D.C. Artist Obsessed: Architecture 1984
Governor’s Residence - Columbus OH Invitational, 1985, 1984
Cleveland Museum of Art Drawing a Line of Departure, 1984
Brenda Kroos Gallery - Columbus OH The Art of Architecture, 1984
Spaces - Cleveland OH Traveling Exhibit, Drawings, 1984
Contemporary Arts Center - Cincinnati OH Traveling Exhibit, Drawings, 1984
Southern Ohio Museum - Portsmouth OH Traveling Exhibit, Drawings, 1984
Two Person/Group Exhibitions
Walker Fine Art, Denver CO 2019
Valley Art Center, Chagrin Falls OH 2018
Artist Archives of the Western Reserve, Cleveland OH 2015
ArtPrize, Grand Rapids MI 2015
RED space, premier, Cleveland OH 2014, 2013
Bonfoey Gallery, 120 yr. anniversary show, Cleveland OH 2013
Elevation Art – Cleveland OH 2005
Thrive-an artspace – Cleveland OH 2003, 2004
Cleveland Institute of Art, Alumni Show - Cleveland OH 2001, 1999, 1998
Cleveland Institute of Art, Faculty Show- Cleveland OH 2003 - 1985
Huntington Museum of Art - Huntington WV 1997
Art Chicago - Navy Pier Show - Chicago IL 1995, 1994
Deson Saunders Gallery - Chicago IL 1995, 1994
Folon & Rigsby Gallery - Nashville TN 1994
Malton Gallery - Cincinnati OH 1993
Butler Institute of American Art - Youngstown OH 1991
Virginia Miller Gallery - Coral Gables OH 1990, 1997
Center Contemporary Arts - Cheltenham PA 1989
Wade Gallery - Los Angeles CA 1989
Inter Art Gallerie Reich - Cologne Germany 1989
Gallery Valmay - Paris France 1989
Eve Mannes Gallery - Atlanta GA 1989
Cleveland Museum of Art, May Show - Cleveland OH 1982-1992
Orlando Art Museum - Orlando FL 1987
Butler Institute of American Art - Youngstown OH 1987
West Colorado Arts Center - Grand Junction CO 1987
Fendrick Gallery – Washington D.C. 1987
Leslie Levy Gallery - Scottsdale AZ 1986
Capricorn Gallery - Washington D.C. 1985
OK Harris Gallery - New York NY 1984
Selected Collections
Cleveland Museum of Art - Cleveland OH
Chemours Washington Works – Parkersburg WV
ArtNeo (Cleveland Art Association) - Cleveland, OH
Artsinstark Canton Cultural Center – Canton OH
Mr. Joseph Eszterhas - Bainbridge OH
Erie Art Museum - Erie PA
Butler Institute of American Art - Youngstown OH
Canton Museum of Art - Canton OH
Chicago Title & Trust - Chicago IL
Cushman, Darby & Cushman - Washington DC
The Federal Reserve – Cleveland OH
Baycrest Health Sciences, Toronto CAN
Astor Residence Hotel - London England
Du Pont de Nemours & Co. - Detroit MI
IBM Corporate Headquarters - Armonk NY
Reliance Electric Corp. - Cleveland OH
IBM - Atlanta GA
Hyatt Regency - Cologne Germany
TRW - Cleveland OH
Squire, Sanders & Dempsey - Cleveland OH
University of Iowa Health Care - Iowa City IA
Fasson Corporation - Painesville OH
Calfee, Halter & Griswold - Cleveland Ohio
Michigan Bell - Detroit MI
Colony Square Hotel - Atlanta GA
SAP America - Cleveland Ohio
Bingham, Dana & Gould - Boston MA
The Registry - Boston MA
Toledo Werk - Cologne Germany
Coopers & Lybrand - Cleveland OH & Detroit MI
Huntington Bancshares - Columbus OH
Radisson Hotels Inc. - Toledo OH
PNC Bank (National City Bank) - Cleveland OH
The Plaza Hotel - Baltimore MD
First Nationwide Bank - Cleveland OH
Kopperman & Wolf Co. - Cleveland OH
American States Insurance Co. - Indianapolis IN
Reliance Mechanical Corp. - Cleveland OH
First United Bank Corp. - Dallas TX
Cowles & Thompson - Dallas TX
Scripps Howard - Cincinnati OH
Design & Engineering - Brentwood TN
The Plain Dealer - Cleveland OH
Lubrizol Corporate Headquarters - Wickliffe OH
Boyle & Chase - Boston MA
Blitch Architects - New Orleans LA
Ostendorf -Morris Co. - Cleveland OH
Karlsberger Corporation - Columbus OH
McDonald’s Corporation - Detroit MI
Jones, Day, Reaves & Pogue - Columbus & Cleveland OH
Ms. Sue Wall - New York NY
First Third Federal - Cleveland OH
Weston, Inc. - Cleveland OH
Mr. Phillip Desind (estate) - Bethesda MD
Reliance Electric GmbH - Kempen Germany
Mr. Jack Lenore Larsen (estate) - New York NY
Sheraton City Center - Cleveland OH
Jewish Community Center - Cleveland OH
TKO, Inc. - Cleveland OH
Charles E. Smith Companies - Arlington, VA
First National Bank - Cleveland OH
Tudor Investments - Boston MA
Massachusetts Financial Services - Boston MA
Scudder, Stevens & Clark - Boston MA
Marous Construction Hq. – Willoughby OH
Noranda Forest Inc. - Toronto Ontario
InterContinental Hotel - Atlanta GA
Goodwin, Proctor & Hoar - Boston MA
FreddieMac - McLean VA
Climaco, Climaco, Seminatore, Lefkowitz & Garofoli- Cleveland OH
Spectrum Equity Investments - Boston MA
NRP Group – Cleveland OH
Hanna Commercial Real Estate - Cleveland OH
Case Western Reserve University - Cleveland OH
Selected Commissions
Summa Health – Akron OH
University of Iowa Hospitals – Iowa City, IA
Hyatt Regency at Colorado Convention Center – Denver CO
City of Mentor, Mentor OH
The Avery - Asheville NC
Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal, Abu Dhabi UAE
Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead GA
Cleveland Clinic Foundation - Cleveland OH
Thompson, Hine, & Flory, LPAs - Cleveland OH
Gateway Arena/Jacobs Field - Cleveland OH
Ungerer GmbH - Pforzheim Germany
Society Key Corporation - Cleveland OH
Lansdowne Conference Resort - Leesburg VI
University Hospitals - Cleveland OH
BP America, Corporate Headquarters - Cleveland OH
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. - Akron OH
Halliburton Corporate Headquarters - Dallas TX
Mr. Peter Van Dijk, A.I.A. - Cleveland OH
Kleco Corporate Headquarters - Cleveland OH
Turner Construction Company - Columbus OH
SunarHauserman Inc. - Dallas TX, Boston MA,
Centerior Energy - Cleveland OH
Marriott Corporation - Arlington MD
University Print Club - Cleveland OH
University School - Cleveland OH
Intercontinental Hotel – Cleveland OH
Selected Writing, Essays and Articles
Forward for book: Fear and Desire: A Captivating Fine Art Book
on the Contemporary Works of Keith M. Francis ____________2025
Ghost writing weekly articles for corporate CEO_______ ___________2020 - 2022
Art writing in my name:
Expo Chicago 2015 _____________________________________2015
New York Art Fairs 2015, Parts I & II____________________________2015
Graffiti and Property Rights________________________________2015
The Offense of Creative Content ____________________________2015
The Destruction of Culture ________________________________2015
Art Education: A Provocation_______________________________2015
Digital Art ___________________________________________2014
The Visual Art Resale Royalty - Boon or Bane For The Art World? _______2014
Does Skill and Technical facility Matter in Art-Making? _____________ 2014
Project Gx2
Video series, (collaborative with artist Guy-Vincent): An art advocacy project, interviews and conversations with international art leaders. Selected 2015 & 2016 conversations:
Peter Blake Gallery, Laguna Beach (at Expo Chicago)
Forum Gallery NY (at Expo Chicago)
George Kozmon, The Digital Realm. Lecture, (at The Hungarian Museum, Cleveland OH)
Alfredo Cramerotti, curator Expo Video, (at Expo Chicago)
Pearl Lam Galleries (at Expo Chicago)
Expo Chicago 2015, Opening Premier (at Expo Chicago)
Jerry Saltz (at Frieze NY)
Katelijne De Backer, Director Art Miami New York (at Art Miami New York)
Nick Korniloff. Founder. Art Miami New York (at Art Miami New York)
Tony Karman, Founder, Expo Chicago (at Expo Chicago)
Asher Edelman Founder, Artemis (NY)
Lehmann Maupin Gallery (at Frieze NY)
Rhona Hoffman, (at Rhona Hoffman Gallery, Chicago)
Gallerie Perrotin, Paris, Hong Kong, NY (at Frieze NY)
Hales Gallery, London (at Frieze NY)
Gallerie Paris Beijing, Paris, Brussels, Beijing, (at Frieze NY)
And more…
Selected Curating
The Beachwood Arts Council Hungarian Rhapsody _____________________2013
The Hungarian Heritage Museum, _4 under 30, Hungarian/American Artists____2012 Cuyahoga Community College, __The Figure________________________2007
Beyond The Surface II_________________2007
Exploring the Landscape_______________2007
Thrive an artspace, __________ Inaugural exhibition, gallery artists________2002
Beyond the Surface, gallery artists________ 2004
Photovision, international artists__________2005
George Kozmon, solo show_________2005, 2006
Guy-Vincent, solo show___________2005, 2006
Hot Hot Hot, gallery artists______________2005
Architecture Integrated, gallery artists______2005
Latino Show, invitational_______________2005
The Buddha Project, (co-curated)_________2005
Education
Bachelor of Fine Arts, 1982, Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland, Ohio
Professional
Artist, writer________________________________________current
Architecture/building design_______________________________2016 - current
Summer Teachers Residency, Cleveland Institute of Art, instructor/mentor 2016 - current
Lecturer/Arts Educator/Curator (independent)___________________1984 -current
Project Gx2 (co-founder, collaborative partner)__________________ 2014 - current
Art Antiques Design (author)_______________________________2013 - 2015
Case Western Reserve University, Dept. Arts & Sciences (lecturer) ______2013 - current
Cain Park Arts Festival - Cleveland Heights OH (Director)____________1996 - current
Orange Art Center- Orange OH (faculty, life-drawing)______________1986 - 2021
Hungarian Heritage Museum - Cleveland OH (trustee, curator)________1989 - current
Cuyahoga Community College - Cleveland OH (curator____________ 2007 - 2008
THRIVE an artspace – Cleveland, OH (Founder/Owner, Director)________2003 - 2006
Cleveland Museum of Art – Cleveland OH (instructor)______________ 2002 - 2005
Cleveland Institute of Art - Cleveland OH (instructor)______1984 - 2004 & 2018 - 2023
