Concentric Circles:
Tracing the Radiance of
Bay Area Figuration
May 2nd - June 14th, 2025
540 Ramona Street
Palo Alto, CA
[Palo Alto, CA] — Pamela Walsh Gallery is pleased to announce the forthcoming exhibition, Concentric Circles: Tracing the Radiance of Bay Area Figuration, a major survey of works by the founding members of the Bay Area Figurative Movement and the artists who radiated outward from their groundbreaking vision. This special exhibition revisits the fertile artistic period of 1950-1965, when a group of San Francisco Bay Area painters, led by David Park, Elmer Bischoff, and Richard Diebenkorn, dared to pursue figurative art at the height of Abstract Expressionism. The exhibition opens May 2nd with an Opening Reception 5-7 pm, followed a week later by a Panel Talk on May 10th at 4 pm.
The Bay Area Figurative Movement emerged as a distinctly regional response to the sweeping dominance of Abstract Expressionism, both on the West Coast and in New York. These artists, seeking to revitalize the art world with fresh meaning, shifted from abstraction to figuration—not as a rejection of modernity but as an exploration of its depths. Their return to the human form and everyday scenes, blending gestural abstraction with intimate depictions of life’s quiet moments, redefined the trajectory of modern painting. San Francisco became the epicenter of this innovative fusion, birthing a style that was at once personal and profoundly influential.
At the heart of this exhibition are the works of luminaries such as Richard Diebenkorn, Elmer Bischoff, Nathan Oliveira, Theophilus Brown, Paul Wonner, Manuel Neri and Joan Brown. These artists imbued their canvases with the textures of lived experience, portraying familiar subjects with bold gestures, visceral paint application, and an abiding sensitivity to form and light. The resulting artworks celebrate the beauty of the everyday while maintaining the dynamism and spontaneity that Abstract Expressionism championed.
This exhibition also features works by other influential artists such as Wayne Thiebaud, Roland Peterson, Raimonds Staprans, Frank Lobdell, Bruce McGaw, Henrietta Berk and James Weeks whose contributions further enriched the movement’s legacy. Together, these artists illustrate the breadth and depth of a pivotal moment in American art history.
The influence of the Bay Area Figurative Movement has extended far beyond its original moment, shaping successive generations of artists who continue to explore the intersection of abstraction and representation. From the emotive, painterly techniques seen in contemporary figurative painting to the ongoing embrace of personal narrative and everyday subject matter, the echoes of this movement remain visible today. Artists working across diverse media have drawn inspiration from its fusion of loose, expressive brushwork with deeply human themes, ensuring that its legacy remains a vital force in contemporary art.
Concentric Circles is a tribute to a time when the simple and the sublime converged on the canvas, reuniting abstraction with figuration. This exhibition offers an opportunity to experience the intimacy and immediacy of a movement that restored humanity to painting, offering a timely reminder of art’s enduring power to reflect, transform, and elevate everyday life.
Pamela Walsh Gallery, founded in 2019, is located in downtown Palo Alto, CA, in a historic building designed by Stanford architect Birge Clark in 1929. The gallery represents a diverse roster of contemporary artists and the Nathan Oliveira Estate. Committed to fostering artistic development and career advancement, the gallery has been a member of the San Francisco Art Dealers Association since 2021, with Pamela Walsh currently serving on the Board of Directors.
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Pamela Walsh
(650) 300-6315
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