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James Hayward
Scot Heywood
John McLaughlin
Three Abstract Painters
February 12-March 12, 2011
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      Opening Reception: Saturday, February 12, 2011, 5:00 to 7:00pm

For  the second exhibit of 2011, the Frank Lloyd Gallery presents a three  person show of abstract painting. The exhibition focuses on the planes  and surfaces of geometric abstraction in the work of John McLaughlin,  James Hayward, and Scot Heywood. By including the influential work of  John McLaughlin, the late and revered master of abstract classicism,  this show demonstrates part of the evolution of abstract painting in  Southern California.

As Susan C. Larsen wrote in her essay for  the retrospective, "John McLaughlin's work has inspired two generations  of artists, critics and curators to probe the silent, obdurate depths of  a body of work created to beguile and challenge the viewer." Seminal to  the development of painting on the West Coast, McLaughlin was included  in "Four Abstract Classicists," an exhibit at the Los Angeles County  Museum of Art in 1959, conceived by Peter Selz and assembled by Jules  Langsner. This highly influential show marks a turning point in  identifying a movement that is also referred to as hard edge painting.

The  large-scale abstract paintings of James Hayward have been described by  the critic Dave Hickey as "stepping into liquid." Hayward's  monochromatic canvases display the fluid and malleable properties of oil  paint, and present a rich, undulating yet unified field. Hayward's work  has been exhibited extensively throughout the U.S. James Hayward was  born in San Francisco in 1943. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts at  San Diego State, and then studied at UCLA and the University of  Washington, where he received his M.F.A in 1972.

Scot Heywood's  new paintings focus on geometric planes of color and the interaction of  refined surface techniques. In the evolution of abstract painting and  sculpture, the use of geometric form with a limited palette is  widespread, ranging from the Russian Suprematist compositions to minimal  paintings. Scot Heywood's paintings relate directly to hard edge  abstraction, as well as its origins in works by artists such as Kasimir  Malevich and Piet Mondrian. Heywood's exquisite attention to detail and  presentation are evident in the careful placement of individual panels,  as well as the refined diagonal layering of paint.