Near Zero

Abattoir Gallery presents Near Zero, featuring paragons of minimalism; sculptor Russell Maltz and painter Peter Demos. The exhibit was organized and curated by gallery artist Shawn Powell. Near Zero pairs together two generations of complex reductivity. Russell Maltz (b. 1952, Brooklyn, NY) and Peter Demos (b. 1981, Wheatridge, CO) are known for their unwavering dedication to sparse aesthetics and a restrained use of materials. They have a near-zero approach to making, employing few variables, resulting in work that is visually minimal and austere. Each artist is concerned with figure-ground relationships, perception, and balance. However, as pleasing and harmonious as these works first appear to be, they are unnerving at their core through perceptual sleight of hand. Their work requires patience, time, and attention to fully reveal their expert nuance of form and surface.