Lagerquist Gallery Collection

Black Halo: A More Practical Mysticism

The halo's golden light symbolizes the saint, the seeker of hidden truth whose diligent virtue shines out onto the world. Fred has coined the term "black halo" to represent a different kind of seeker - a flawed, gruff, plain, would-be saint who stumbles and falls but nevertheless soldiers on. The path for the "black halo saint" does not involve setting self-imposed challenges or achieving goals. Instead, this seeker follows "the way of negation," a term used by theologians and mystics to describe a shedding of familiar habits to seek the core self.  

Fred is now exploring this concept in this new series, begun in August 2016. The process has allowed him to step out of what he's always found comfortable and set aside familiar but perhaps tired habits. In doing so, he's uncovered a more minimalist sensibility and a fresher artistic vocabulary that speaks in a quiet yet resonant voice. 

Please contact us if you would like to learn more about a particular work of art or would like to visit our studio. We look forward to hearing from you.

Other Work

These paintings reflect Fred's ongoing dialogue with Abstract Expressionism, exploring the tension between that movement's purely conceptual use of color and composition and his own love of figurative drawing. These works typically begin with a figure drawn on canvas; color is then layered on, often - but not always - erasing the representational elements. The result is a lively reconfiguration of the original drawing, as images are transformed by Fred's bold colors and detailed brushwork.