NORBERT MASAL

ARTIST STATEMENT:

Norbert Masal’s art work, be it 2D or 3D, is rooted in the approaches which the modernist and abstract expressionist artists of the 20th century explored and embedded indelibly into visual art. On a formal level, my 2D and 3D abstract and non-representational works explore concepts of interplay between structure and spontaneous expression drawing from themes of balance, tension, and implied movement. For example, in my extensive body of color-rich 2D collage works, I juxtapose precise orthogonal imagery with gestural and amorphous elements as counterpoints to the more static geometric aspects. By integrating unexpected materials of daily use and transformed objects such as aluminum cans littered into the urban environment and flattened to paper-thin sheets by pounding traffic, contemporary relevance emerges in selected compositions. Creative tension arises as the eye shifts between such components and more formal structures and the dynamic contrasts they present. Consistency within the series of works is given through the reuse and variations of components. Colors, motifs, shapes, characters or ideas that are absent in one work reemerge in another, thus, establishing a cohesive narrative or theme across the body of work. 

Bio:

Norbert Masal is a mixed-media artist and sculptor living and working in New York City.  Originally from Augsburg, Germany, he attended the University of Munich as well as New York University, where he received a Masters in Studio Art. Most currently he is working with noted abstractionist Bruce Dorfman at the Art Students League of New York where he has received recognition and merit awards.  His work has been shown in group shows in New York City and is collected by private and corporate collectors.