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Fabio SanzogniVisit the museumthat is a masterpieceT heF rickCollection1 East 70th Street, NYC212 288-0700Frick.orgDowntown at Night 2 Acrylic on Panel 48” x 48”sense of the dramatic comes naturally to Fabio Sanzogni.A “I tend to use bold and clean colors,” he says, “that expressemotions and a state of being.” With years of experience as aset designer for dance and theater as well as for television,he is well versed in telling stories and bringing out dramaticcontrasts. But unlike a stage set, his paintings tell their storiessolely through a combination of shapes, painting styles, andcolors. Contrasts between characters are replaced by clashesbetween varying shades and juxtapositions of seeminglycasual splashes of paint with neat rectangles. The artist strikesan arresting balance between vibrant and muted colors, andbetween restrained elegance and a volcanic sense of energy.Many influences can be seen in his work. A jewel-likeassemblage of squares and swirls might bring Gustav Klimtto mind, or a bright pattern that looks as if it could havebeen poured onto the canvas will suggest Jackson Pollock’swork. Influenced by the frescoes he saw while growing up inItaly, Sanzogni lets light infuse his paintings — even a blackbackground will be mixed with bits of white in a way that makesit seem as if a light source is somewhere just out of the frame.Sanzogni’s paintings, while abstract, pull the viewer into aphysical, emotionally challenging world.www.fabiosarts.comwww.Agora-Gallery.com/ArtistPage/Fabio_Sanzogni.aspxThe Frick Collection’s newly reopened Fragonard Room40 ARTisSpectrum