Artists: Alice Baber - Paul Jenkins

Upsilon Gallery presents an exciting showcase of works by Alice Baber (b.1928) and Paul Jenkins (b.1923). The two artists, who worked alongside each other for many years and were briefly married in the late 1960s, had a significant influence on each other’s practices and the Abstract Expressionist movement as a whole, extending their impact beyond New York where they first met.

Both artists studied together at the Gutai Pinacotheca in Osaka, Japan, where they were deeply influenced by the Gutai movement, evident in their poetic painting styles. They explored the possibilities of color and light through various techniques, yet their approaches differed: Baber employed a stain and lift method using hand-applied transparent layers, while Jenkins used pouring and gestural sweeps. Both artists infused energy and direction into their compositions, with Baber orchestrating tightly coordinated patterns of ellipses that seem to dance, and Jenkins creating intuitive, chance-based works characterized by pooling and dripping in bold, controlled directions. This dual exhibition will offer insight into the careers of Baber and Jenkins, showcasing how their vitality, freedom, and innovative practices impacted the broader community of artists recognized during the Abstract Expressionist era.​