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Bio
Gay Summer Rick paints iconic urban coastal landscapes, from Los Angeles to New York City, rendered with a keen sense of place and a flair for abstraction. Sparsely populated though replete with objects and evidence of the built environment, her poetic, palimpsestic aesthetic yields scenes that are at once dreamlike and familiar, painterly, evocative, and emotionally resonant. The resplendent calm of her highway and byway sojourns claims influences from Diebenkorn to Rothko and Turner; resulting in expressive, mottled surface qualities that thwart photographic reproduction. Revealing an unexpected beauty in commonplace elements within the urban landscape, her unique style is a melding of impressionism and color-field painting describing the quiet vibration of life where the city meets the sea.
In Gay Summer’s vision, traffic, broad skies, architecture, power lines, and perhaps palm trees are silhouetted or bathed in the luminosity of clear blue white light, or set aflame inside the warmth of a blood orange glow, radiating beyond the confines of the picture plane. Though not overtly realist, Gay Summer’s observations on the dynamic of optical, environmental phenomena animate her scenes with the energy and movement of the observable world. She applies pure pigments using only palette knives, creating images through a series of interacting, melded layers. The paint is treated architectonically; it is engineered, built into layers, carved, scraped, accumulated, and almost sculpted — but never removed, never discarded. In part to avoid material waste and the use of toxic solvents for reasons of environmentalism, Gay Summer finds the almost mnemonic accrual of paint a perfect reflection of her lifetime of experiences in the places she depicts.
Growing up in New York surrounded by artists, Gay Summer Rick began her arts education early in life. She went on to formally study art and received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in New York at the School of Art and Design, Alfred University, where she drew, painted and sculpted images on clay forms and vessels. After receiving a Masters degree in Business Administration, she continued her art training in Los Angeles in painting, which became the primary focus of her art practice. A resident of Southern California for over 25 years, the artist maintains her studio in Malibu.
Gay Summer Rick regularly exhibits in California and Hawaii, and has shown in Japan, Europe, and New York. Her paintings have been featured in solo gallery and institutional group exhibitions including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art Rental & Sales Gallery; and in international and national group exhibitions. Her work has received numerous awards and honors, and she is a member of Oil Painters of America, California Art Club, Malibu Art Association, Malibu Artists Unite, and is listed by the Malibu Cultural Arts Commission. Her paintings are held in public and private collections around the world.
Artist CV
Solo Exhibitions
2021 “Interventional Itinerary”, bG Gallery Bergamot Station, Santa Monica, California (CA)
2018 “Skyways and Highways”, bG Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
2017 “Calm and Bright in the City of Angels”, Loft at Liz’s, Los Angeles, CA
2015 “City and Sea: From Broadway to Speedway”, bG Gallery Bergamot Station, Santa Monica, CA
2014 “Beasts and Trees, Cities and Seas”, bG Gallery Bergamot Station, Santa Monica, CA (2-person)
2013 “Series in Night and Day”, bG Gallery Ocean Avenue, Santa Monica, CA
2012 “Series in Sand and Sky”, bG Gallery Ocean Avenue, Santa Monica, CA
2011 “Series in Fog and Sun”, bG Gallery Ocean Avenue, Santa Monica, CA
Museum / Institutional Exhibitions
2020 “Collaborate and Create”, Museum of Art and History, Lancaster, CA
“De-Fence Art: Art in the Time of Isolation”, 18th Street Art, Santa Monica Airport, Santa Monica, CA
2019 “Intangible in Paint”, Venice Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, CA
“Radical Beauty, Malibu Rising”, Malibu City Hall, CA
“Collection Selections”, Venice Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, CA
“Kitsch-In-Sync”, Coastline College Gallery, Newport Beach, CA
2018 “Odyssey II”, Torrance Art Museum, Torrance, CA
2016 “MAS”, San Diego Art Institute Museum of the Living Artist, San Diego, CA
2015 “An Odyssey: 10 Years of the Torrance Art Museum”, Torrance, CA
“Pain”, University of New England, Portland, Maine
“Water Works II”, Glendale Community College Gallery, Glendale, CA
2014 “Pain”, Gallery LRC, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA
2011 “Soft Machine”, IGM Gallery, USC, Los Angeles, CA
2009 “Mother’s Day”, Malibu Lagoon Museum, Malibu, CA
Group Exhibitions
2021 “The Cityscape Show XI”, George Billis Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
“Vacation”, Michael Hayden Art and Living, Los Angeles, CA
“LA Art Show”, bG Gallery, Santa Monica, CA in Los Angeles, CA
2020 “Cityscape X: Concrete and Earth”, George Billis Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
“Representational Abstract 3”, bG Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
“Love in the Time of Corona”, bG Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
“Art Palm Springs”, George Billis Gallery, New York in Palm Springs, CA
“LA Art Show”, bG Gallery, Santa Monica, CA in Los Angeles, CA
2019 “She Was Blue”, Art Project Paia, Maui, Hawaii (HI)
“Floating Worlds”, bG Gallery and ViCA (Venice Institute of Contemporary Art), Santa Monica, CA
“micro Macro”, Neumünster, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
“The Room”, bG Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
“Cityscape IX”, George Billis Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
“Edge to Edge”, Fahle Galerii, Tallinn, Estonia
“Surf & Turf”, Castelli, Los Angeles, CA
“Point to Line to Plane”, Art Project Paia, Maui, HI
“Santa Monica: Now and Then”, bG Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
“LA Art Show”, bG Gallery, Santa Monica, CA in Los Angeles, CA
2018 “OUT and ABOUT”, Rebecca Molayem Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
“Love in Color 2”, Art Project Paia, Maui, HI
“Summer Show”, George Billis Gallery, New York, New York (NY)
“Cityscape VIII”, George Billis Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
“Cat Art Show LA”, ThinkTank Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
“Art Palm Springs”, George Billis Gallery New York in Palm Springs, CA
“LA Art Show”, Gallery Steiner, Vienna, Austria/bG Gallery, Santa Monica, CA in Los Angeles, CA
2017 “Representational Abstract”, bG Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
“Cityscape VII”, George Billis Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
“In Between the Lines”, Art Project Paia, Maui, HI
“Heal the Ocean”, Gallery Montecito, Montecito, CA
“ArtExpo New York”, Gallery Steiner – Vienna, Austria in New York, NY
“Art Palm Springs”, George Billis Gallery New York in Palm Springs, CA
“LA Art Show”, bG Gallery, Santa Monica, CA in Los Angeles, CA
“Water and Sky”, bG Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
2016 “Spectrum Miami”, bG Gallery Santa Monica, CA, Miami, FL
“Transported”, bG Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
“Love in Color”, Art Project Paia, Maui, HI
“Cityscape VI”, George Billis Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
“Homing Pigeon: Edition 5”, Naantali Spa Gallery/Forum District, Turku/Naantali, Finland
“High Five”, Mike Kelley Gallery, Venice, CA
“Grayscale Wonderland II”, bG Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
“LA Art Show”, bG Gallery, Santa Monica, CA in Los Angeles, CA
“Art Makes Change”, EarthWE, Santa Monica, CA
2015 “Vision LA ’15 Climate Action Arts Festival”, Old Santa Monica Museum of Art, Santa Monica, CA
“Island Girls”, bG Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
“Nature”, Art Project Paia, Maui, HI
“Homing Pigeon : Edition 4 : Kyoto”, Gallery Antenna, Kyoto, Japan
“Hot 10”, Mike Kelley Gallery, Venice, CA
“Water Works”, Porch Gallery, Ojai, CA
“Grayscale Wonderland”, bG Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
“LA Art Show”, bG Gallery, Santa Monica, CA, and FABRIK in Los Angeles, CA
2014 “I Love Maui”, Art Project Paia, Maui, HI
“Malibu Arts Festival”, Malibu Art Assoc, Malibu, CA
“Ultimate Beach”, bG Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
“Poetry of Colors”, Schomburg Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
“Three Winged Chrysalis”, bG Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
“LA Art Show”, bG Gallery Santa Monica, CA, and FABRIK in Los Angeles, CA
“Our Ever Changing World”, ChungKing Studio, Los Angeles, CA
2013 “Surf’s Up”, Art Project Paia, Maui, HI
“Women Make the World Go Round”, Broadway ArtSpace, Santa Monica, CA
“Winter Spirit”, Schomburg Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
“Malibu Arts Festival”, Malibu Art Assoc, Malibu, CA
“Still Life and Beyond”, Schomburg Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
“Topanga Canyon Juried Open”, Topanga Canyon Gallery, Topanga Canyon, CA
“Winter Tides”, bG Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
2012 “Play Space”, bG Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
“Holiday”, Blue 5, Los Angeles, CA
“Summer”, Malibu Art Assoc Juried Exhibition, MLY Gallery, Malibu,
“Enchanted Spaces”, Schomburg Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
“Affordable Art Fair”, Bleicher Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, LA Live, Los Angeles, CA
“Malibu Beauty”, Malibu Art Assoc, MLY Gallery, Malibu, CA
2011 “California Light: The Malibu View”, Seaside Gallery, Pismo Beach, CA
“Scapes II”, Blue 5, Los Angeles, CA
“Artist Odyssey”, Malibu Art Assoc Juried Exhibition, Schomburg Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
“Scapes”, bG Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
“Topanga Canyon Juried Open”, Topanga Canyon Gallery, Topanga, CA
“Micro Gestalt”, bG Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
2010 Los Angeles County Museum of Art/Rental & Sales Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
“Magnificent Miniatures”, California Art Club, Pasadena, CA
“Micro Gestalt”, bG Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
“Small Works”, Segil Fine Art, Monrovia, CA
“39th Annual Malibu Arts Festival”, Malibu, CA
“California Landscape”, Malibu Art Assoc Juried Exhibition, Schomburg Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
2009 Los Angeles County Museum of Art/Rental & Sales Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
“38th Annual Malibu Arts Festival”, Malibu, CA
“Malibu Art Assoc Juried Exhibition”, Library Gallery, Pacific Palisades, CA
2008 Los Angeles County Museum of Art/Rental & Sales Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
“37th Annual Malibu Arts Festival”, Malibu, CA
“The Challenge of Colors”, Library Gallery, Juried Exhibition, Pacific Palisades, CA
2007 Los Angeles County Museum of Art/Rental & Sales Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
“Light and Shadow: Malibu Art Assoc Juried Exhibition”, Library Gallery, Pacific Palisades, CA
2006 “Floating Waters, Coastal Vistas: California Art Club Juried Exhibition”, Blinn House, Pasadena, CA
“Malibu Art: Malibu Art Assoc Juried Exhibition”, Santa Monica College, Santa Monica, CA
2005 “Gallery Group Exhibition”, Tops Gallery, Malibu, CA
“Malibu Art Assoc Juried Exhibition”, Santa Monica College, Santa Monica, CA
Grants, Awards, Residencies
2019 Professional Development Grant. Center for Cultural Innovation, San Francisco, CA
2019 Kipaipai Artist Residency, Rensselearville, NY
2013 1st Place. Topanga Canyon Gallery, “Topanga Canyon Juried Open”, Topanga Canyon, CA
2010 2nd Place. Schomburg Gallery, “California Landscape”, Santa Monica, CA
2008 3rd Place. Library Gallery, Malibu Art Assoc Juried Exhibition, Pacific Palisades, CA
2007 Honorable Mention. SMC Gallery, Malibu Art Assoc Juried Exhibition, Santa Monica, CA
2007 Honorable Mention. Library Gallery, Malibu Art Assoc Juried Exhibition, Pacific Palisades, CA
2006 Honorable Mention. SMC Gallery, Malibu Art Assoc Juried Exhibition, Santa Monica, CA
Education
BFA School of Art and Design, Alfred University, Alfred, New York (Crandall Award Scholarship, 4yrs)
MBA University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, Washington
Professional Affiliations
Associate Artist – Oil Painters of America
Associate Artist – California Art Club
Artist Member – Malibu Art Association
Malibu Arts Commission Listing
Selected Collections
Frederick Cox Architect, PC, New York, NY
Hoyt Family Vineyards, Paso Robles and Malibu, CA
Material Handling Solutions, Taos, NM
The Nederlander Organization, New York, NY
D. E. Spalten, Atlanta, Georgia
Venice Institute of Contemporary Art, Venice, CA
Webcor, Los Angeles, CA
Press