Abstracts From Life

Artists have explored the human figure throughout the ages. One regional expression of this practice is Bay Area Figurative, an art movement that emerged from California mid-20th century abstraction and continues as an enduring tradition. Abstracts From Life is a group exhibition that explores the genesis of the Bay Area Figurative movement and features several generations of artists, including contemporary artists working locally and internationally.

At a time in the 1950s when art communities on both coasts embraced Abstract Expressionism, a group of San Francisco painters abandoned current trends to return to the figure. From the genesis of this movement many decades ago, to present day, Bay Area Figurative artists incorporate the language of abstraction to create new dialogue with their subject matter, rendering the figure in a recognizable and powerful way.