Fred Gutzeit

Fred Gutzeit’s work can be best described as being in line. He shapes his paintings as an elegant expression of movement around the picture plane. The colorful paintings are based on the initials of friends and colleagues, which transform and transcend into lively stories within every frame.

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Gutzeit describes his work as “frozen calligraphy.” He embodies the original spirit of the handwritten initial, shaping the signature into a story. His most influential paintings garnered inspiration from well-known artist Claes Oldenburg and esteemed curator Klaus Kertess. In 2012, Gutzeit combined Klaus Kertess’ initials into his abstract expressionist painting from the 1980s. In 2016, he began his series of paintings dealing with Claes Oldenburg’s “Mouse” motif, inscribed with Oldenburg and Paula Cooper’s initials. Since the late eighties, Fred Guitzeit combines geometric patterns, vivid colors, calligraphy, and a unique perspective of his subject matter, projecting a feverish dance on canvas.

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His earlier work, “SIGnatures,” has been shown at the Slideshow Gallery, Tregoning (Cleveland), Brian Morris, and Pratt in Manhattan, along with numerous group shows. Fred Gutzeit was a long-time resident of the Lower East Side and played an active role in the New York art community.