Opening of Michael Kuch's exhibit, "Angels & Emblemata"

Beginning on November 3rd, Bromer Booksellers & Gallery is pleased to present its latest exhibition, “Angels & Emblemata: Monotypes, Oils, and Intaglios by Michael Kuch.” The centerpiece of the exhibit will be Kuch’s Moth Angels, his new series of small monotypes and oils on copper. The moth-winged seraphs are Kuch’s reaction to the horrific invasion of Ukraine, and in turn the angels themselves react with gestures of anger, grief, defiance, and resistance. The thirty total images display emotion as iconography, made all the more intense by Kuch’s decision to repeat each figure three times: as monotype, as a secondary “ghost” printing, and as oil painting directly on the copper plates. In addition to Moth Angels, the exhibit will be the debut of the long-awaited artist book from Kuch’s Double Elephant Press, Emblemata – Hic Sunt Dracones. In the wildly popular tradition of 16th- and 17th-century emblem books, here Kuch’s poems and etchings of allegorical figures comment on our 21st century. Other works from previous Double Elephant Press books will also be on display, including proofs and original works that evince Kuch’s penchant for humor and whimsy; a watercolor teapot flies as a chariot might, another watercolor imagines hope as a man with feathers, and the book An Alliterative Abecedarium of Anthropomorphic Animals is a fanciful cross between bestiary and the English alphabet.

Michael Kuch devotes his artistic craft equally to the fantastic and the familiar. He deftly juxtaposes the human figure and natural forms into resonant metaphor, unveiling psychological realities and iconoclastic truths. Kuch is likewise diversely skilled in various media, ranging from draftsmanship to watercolor, oils, pastels, etching, lithography, and bronze sculpture.

Having grown up in northern Vermont, Kuch now resides and works in Northampton, Massachusetts. He was self-taught until at Hampshire College he came under the wing of Leonard Baskin. For many years after receiving his BA, Kuch continued to work closely with Baskin, printing for the latter’s Gehenna Press. In 1994, Kuch started his own Double Elephant Press, and since then has consistently worked with a number of book artisans in the Northampton area. Complete collections of Double Elephant Press books are housed at Smith College, the Library of Congress, and Yale University’s Beinecke Library, among others.

“Angels & Emblemata: Monotypes, Oils, and Intaglios by Michael Kuch” will be on exhibit and works will be available for purchase throughout the winter at Bromer Gallery, 607 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116. An opening reception will be held on December 8th, 2022 from 5:00p.m. to 7:00p.m. Visit gallery.bromer.com for more information.