alvatore Federico paints predominantly large-scale, hard-edged geometric abstractions. The artist states, ? With something of a figurative gesture and tension in mind, the shapes in these paintings were made on a hexagonal grid. While this regularity confers a unity of style, it also allows a kind of drawing that discovers new possibilities.? His compositions feature a singular shape poised in a flat field of color, juxtaposing vibrant, pure hues. The elegant images suggest suspended kaleidoscopic forms that at once appear enduring yet fragile, as if at any moment the shape might collapse and change into another form. As the artist comments, ? I enjoy finding symmetry that is slightly off. It contributes to the openess of the color space. Into this space, a shape will rise from one point and seem to turn.?

Born in Washington, D.C., Salvatore Federico received his M.A. in Painting from Hunter College and studied with Tony Smith during the years 1966 - 1967, which was when he began the current series of paintings. He lives and works in New York City. While the artist has an extensive exhibition history, this is his first solo exhibition at the George Billis Gallery.