Opening on November 12 at the Pence Gallery! “First Impressions: Early Prints by Roy De Forest” offers a remarkable look at the artist’s early explorations in printmaking.

Throughout his career as a prolific painter of worlds full of wonder and exploration, De Forest (1930–2007) was drawn to the process of lithography as a graphic representation of his ideas. This exhibit highlights his explorations with Abstract Expressionism, which began with his studies at the California School of Fine Arts. Studying with painters such as Hassel Smith, Edward Corbett, David Park, and Elmer Bischoff, De Forest created a small body of unique prints in which energetic lines and organic shapes merge. De Forest progressed in his career quickly from abstraction to a more narrative style, which he endowed with a plethora of human and animal characters, as seen by a grouping of prints from 1965 to 1994.

Exhibit dates: November 12, 2021 – January 7, 2022

Opening reception: November 12, 6–9 PM

On Wednesday, December 1, Professor Graham McDougal will take a look at Roy De Forest’s early lithographs in an in-person lecture at 7-8 pm. McDougal will explore the artist’s process and the broader context of printmaking in California in the 1950s. (This lecture is free but a $10 donation is suggested.)

Pence Gallery
212 D Street
Davis, CA 95616
pencegallery@gmail.com