MICHAEL REAFSNYDER : SUMMER JAM

Scott Richards Contemporary Art is delighted to present SUMMER JAM, a collection of new abstract paintings by Michael Reafsnyder. Celebrated for his energetic, tactile approach to abstraction, the Southern California artist brings his signature energy to a vibrant summer showcase of gestural paintings.

SUMMER JAM offers an invitation to revel in the immediacy and joy of color. The exhibition presents   a sensory experience that is both unrestrained and deeply intentional as Reafsnyder’s acrylic on linen paintings overflow with energy—each work a spontaneous burst of painterly delight.

As stated by art critic, David Pagel: “Reafsnyder’s art is pleasure—even a joy—to behold. After all, it causes you to smile and then returns the favor by smiling right back at you”.

Reafsnyder creates exuberant works using palette knives, his hands, and found objects—intentionally avoiding brushes to convey a sense of raw, physical immediacy. Rejecting the brooding legacy of Abstract Expressionism, he turns to grisaille—the technique of building luminous layers from modulated greys—blending cool and warm tones into neutral bases to form complex surfaces, across which paint glides and bounces in off in thick impasto, generous strokes and surprising bursts of color. Pastry Store, is punctuated by icy greys peeking through candy-colored swirls; Chop Shop, glows with warm underlayers beneath bold strokes, and Ripping Good grabs attention with a smoldering red intensity that unveils slowly. The new paintings continually unfold, revealing both the artist’s joy in their creation and the viewer’s thrill of relishing their surprising, layered depths.

Michael Reafsnyder is an adjunct professor at Claremont University, CA, having earned his MFA from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA. His works are featured in numerous public and private collections, most notably, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, and the Columbus Museum of Art. He lives and works in Southern California. 

For more information or images, please contact: Alina Richards: alina@srcart.com 415-788-5588 or visit www.srcart.com