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Trrs Meuvr Dnrss, orr oN cANvAS, 14 x 12

MercoLM Lmprn

Figuratively speaking

T asr summer Minnesota native Malcolm

I Liepke turned a corner in his painting sryle

-LJand het not looking back."l said everything I had to say in those genres.

I'm dealing in fields of color now," says Liepke.Gone are the narrative and allegory aspects

of his work that relied on 19th century themes

with backgrounds of cafds, bars, and livingrooms. \While Liepke remains true to figurativesubjects, in his new paintings, he plays withabstract backgrounds of geometric shapes andkeeps it loose.

"My backgrounds don't tell a story anymore.

I've tried to get at the essence of all my work. I've

edited and simplified. I don't need the settings

anymore. They became superficial," Liepke says.

"Itt freed me up tremendously, and I'm inspiredin going in different directions. I'm enjoyingpainting more than evet."

Arcadia Gallery will display Liepket new

paintings in a solo exhibition in Nerv York.

Viewers will be struck by the symmetry of Liepketlarger-scale canvases, some measuring 6 by 5 feet.

"I don't normally work that large but I wantto and need to with some of these to go full size

with the figure," explains Liepke. "This shorv willbe different in that everything is different in size

and frames and my approach. It's a good blend of

my old work with a new spin on it. Itt an excitingtime for me."

Inspired by modern artists' sense of design,

Liepkes innovative sryle blends his traditionaitraining with a contemporary perspective, usingthe figure in context to geometric shapes.

"I don't see anyone in the contemporary artmarket doing it in a modern context. I d like tobridge that gap and blend both worlds," he says.

Liepket current figures speak for themselves.

The piece i{ed Ponytails is expressive, with a yinand yang harmony about it, and illustrates theartistt shift in background design that plays offrhe pose or underscores it.

"I like the juxraposition ofher pose and the

triangular background," says Liepke, "The pose

is especially expressive and how the diagonal cuts

through her dress."

In the painting ti:Jed Arms Up, Liepkeinterpiays her pose in the same manner as she

creates an 'X' in the painting, much like the

blocks behind her."l try to do that with everything. Itt like

building a pyramid and the backgrounds are

the base of the pyramid and the figure being the

topping," he says.

Theret nothing arbitrary about Liepke's

evolving backgrounds; he spends much time

The Gallery Sdys . . .

'With the arrival of each painting for this exhibition, everything that I

Ioved about Liepke's works became new; the emotion, the impact and the

undeniable talent of a painter who has spawned dozens of imitators. It's all

there in these paintings, only this time there is a freshness and vibrancy to

the works that will make every collector Iook once again and understand

why Liepke is a master of contemporary, figurative paintingJ'

PoNvrnrrs, orr- oN cANVAs, 19 x 18"

- $sgvs Diamant, Ownen Arcadia Gallery

MeN wrrn Evrs Crosto, orl oN cANvAs, r.+ x 12" Tirr Br,e.cx Dnrss, orr- oN cANvAS, 16 x ro"

fine-tuning them and creating a tension with the

figure. In The Mauue Dress, the design interacts withthe geometry of the pose and the geometry of the

background."The figule is always working in tandem with the

background," Liepke emphasizes.

Liepke calls his transition "more evolutionarythan revolutionary." So far collectors have embracedthis new direction, and while it's different, he says

they still recognize his rvork because each imageconjures the emotion, co1or, and sensibility forwhich he is best known.

"Collectors rvill gravitate toward those emotionalaspects of figures like they've always done," says Liepke.

Arcadia Gallery owner Steve Diamant concurs."Having rvorked with Malcolm Liepke for

the last 16 years, I have to confess to having been

'concerned' about 'where he was going' with his newsryle of painting . . . that was a mistake on my part,"says Diamant. "With the arrival of each painting forthis exhibition, everything that I loved about Liepke's

works became new; the emotion, the impact and the

undeniable talent of a painter who has spawned dozens

of imitators. Itt all there in these paintings." o

For a direct linh to thedirect linh to theexhibiting gallerl

Am.rs Ur,, orI- oN cANvAs , rq x tz"