International architecture firm, Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF) will be presenting a selection of Chairman and Founder A. Eugene Kohn’s watercolors at The Galleries at 153 East 53rd Street in New York City this summer. Opening on Monday, July 2nd and on view through the end of August, the exhibition will feature highlights of Kohn’s work from the 1950’s through today.
Kohn paints primarily in watercolor with a range of subjects – cityscapes, landscapes, still life and abstract. Much of his work is done when he travels in foreign countries, and he frequently gives them as gifts or donates them to charity auctions. His watercolors have previously been displayed at the Guggenheim Museum in a show for the works of well-known architects, as well as an exhibition in Hong Kong last year, and are shown at Belgravia Gallery in London. Kohn’s fascination with painting began when he was a young boy sitting by his mother’s side while she painted. Hannah Kohn was an accomplished painter in her own right, and also had a show at the Guggenheim Museum on the occasion of her 100th birthday.
According to Kohn, “It’s not about being an artist – painting is something that I delight in and do purely for the joy of it. I paint to relax and to express strong feelings about certain subjects. A building can take five to ten years to complete, while a watercolor can be done in a few hours.”
Gallery owner Meredith Ward adds, "Gene Kohn’s watercolors have an elegant simplicity. He uses the unique qualities of the medium to greatest advantage by approaching his subjects with a minimum of means. A few quick strokes convey the energy of a bustling cityscape; a broad wash of color suggests the vastness of sea and sky."
The opening of the exhibition coincides with the firm’s 36th anniversary. KPF was founded by Kohn, William Pedersen, and Sheldon Fox in New York on July 4th, 1976. With over 550 employees, the firm is headquartered in the historic 11 West 42nd Street building, overlooking Bryant Park and the New York Public Library. +
Related Stories
Architects | Feb 11, 2015
Shortlist for 2015 Mies van der Rohe Award announced
Copenhagen, Berlin, and Rotterdam are the cities where most of the shortlisted works have been built.
BIM and Information Technology | Feb 10, 2015
Google's 3D scanning camera leaves the lab
Google is said to be partnering with LG to create a version of the technology for public release sometime this year.
Steel Buildings | Feb 10, 2015
Korean researchers discover 'super steel'
The new alloy makes steel as strong as titanium.
Architects | Feb 9, 2015
The generalist architect vs. the specialist architect
The corporate world today quite often insists on hiring specialists, but the generalists have an intrinsic quality to adapt to new horizons or even cultural shifts in the market, writes SRG Partnership's Gary Harris.
Museums | Feb 9, 2015
Herzog & de Meuron's M+ museum begins construction in Hong Kong
When completed, M+ will be one of the first buildings in the Foster + Partners-planned West Kowloon Cultural District.
Multifamily Housing | Feb 9, 2015
GSEs and their lenders were active on the multifamily front in 2014
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac securitized more than $57 billion for 850,000-plus units.
BIM and Information Technology | Feb 8, 2015
BIM for safety: How to use BIM/VDC tools to prevent injuries on the job site
Gilbane, Southland Industries, Tocci, and Turner are among the firms to incorporate advanced 4D BIM safety assessment and planning on projects.
Museums | Feb 6, 2015
Tacoma Art Museum's new wing features sun screens that operate like railroad box car doors
The 16-foot-tall screens, operated by a hand wheel, roll like box car doors across the façade and interlace with a set of fixed screens.
Office Buildings | Feb 6, 2015
6 factors steering workplace design at financial services firms
Grossly underutilized space and a lack of a mobility strategy are among the trends identified by HOK based on its research of 11 top-tier financial services firms.
Cultural Facilities | Feb 6, 2015
Architects look to ‘activate’ vacant block in San Diego with shipping container-based park
A team of alumni from the NewSchool of Architecture and Design in San Diego has taken over a 28,500-sf empty city block in that metro to create what they hope will be a revenue-generating urban park.
