“Art is finding one’s path to an unseen destination” — Michel Goldberg

Hudson Hall presents an exhibition of monotypes, drawings, mixed media/collages and sculpture by Upstate New York-based artist and former graphic designer Michel Goldberg. Known for his mastery of the monotype process and evocative approach to materials, Goldberg’s work invites viewers into dreamlike worlds where texture, mood, and memory converge.

Predominantly in black and white, Goldberg’s prints are remarkable for their ability to evoke fleeting sensory elements like smoke, water, or vapor, creating imagery that feels light and intangible. Like an elite dancer, his practice is one of embodied skill and creative spontaneity. With a deep understanding of the organic materials he uses and the alchemy of the printing process, Goldberg has refined his technique over years of repetition and experimentation.

Curator’s statement

Michel Goldberg’s body of work shown here represents a period spanning nearly 20 years. His journey into fine arts has embraced exploring various media: Monotypes, drawings, mixed media/collages and sculpture. His focus on the art of monotype printmaking is dedicated to the discovery of a visual language that captures his spirit. Each piece in black and white is unique and often his work is constructed as a response to a particular interest influenced by music, literature or nature. As his art has evolved he has moved from a more traditional approach of taking a single surface as in the large drawings and monotypes at the beginning of the show, to the use of natural elements, organic materials or scrap metal ‘ferraille’ integrated into the print. The material and the print at times become intertwined. The sculpture shown is also part of this journey exploring form and tension, with the welding of steel plates or using found fragments of steel in unusual ways creating works such as ‘Hommage to Calder’s Circus’. As curator of this show, my aim is to introduce you to Michel’s journey and hope you will find your own way through the intriguing work.

– Frances Spark, Curator

Artist’s Statement

The works exhibited are Monotypes, drawings, mixed media/collages and sculpture, so aptly described by Dominque Nahas* in his essay “The Imagining Worlds of Michel Goldberg”

“Michel Goldberg’s acute sensitivity to surfaces and to the haptic are derived not only from his involvement with printmaking but also from his long commitment with the one-on-one challenges of shaping and shapeshifting differently realized three dimensional forms, sculptures that are constructed out of steel using mig welding or involve hand-chiseling, shaping and smoothing stone such as Italian Alabaster.”

His work, predominantly in black and white, distilling and simplifying in its search for meaning, exemplifies his commitment to the characters of paper and to the tonal handling of inks. He is inspired by the natural environment with which he has surrounded himself, his woods, and the random elements contained within; rusted metal, stones, twigs and decaying leaves.