Techspressionism: A new art movement comes to Vermont


MANCHESTER — Now on display at Helmholz Fine Art are works of Techspressionism by North Bennington artist Colin Goldberg.

Goldberg invented the term “Techspressionism” in 2011 to describe his technology-fueled paintings. Since then, Techspressionism has developed into an international movement of artists from over 45 countries. It has also become a widely used hashtag on social media, with over 75K Instagram posts by artists around the globe using the hashtag #techspressionism.

“It’s good for people to be able to see something that is very cutting edge here in Manchester, Vt.,” said Lisa Helmholz-Adams, owner and curator of the gallery at 442 Depot St., Manchester Center. “It’s been so well received. It’s really, really exciting for people to be able to see this.” Gallery hours are Friday, Saturday and Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Wednesday and Thursday by appointment only.

Defined as “an artistic approach in which technology is utilized as a means to express emotional experience,” Techspressionism has been described as

“Expressionism for the 21st Century.” The artist group’s adviser, art historian Helen Harrison, was the longtime director of the Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center, the former home and studio of the Abstract Expressionist artists Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner in East Hampton, New York.

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This August, the first museum exhibition of Techspressionist artworks opened at the Kingsborough Art Museum in Brooklyn. The show featured paintings, sculptures, and digital art by artists from more than 20 countries who use technology in their practices.

“Circuit,” Goldberg’s submission to the exhibition, is a dynamic 6×8-foot augmented reality (AR) artwork that animates on the wall when viewed through a mobile app. An earlier AR work from this series, “Kneeling Icon,” was purchased by the Hearst Corporation in New York City last year. It is now permanently installed in the company’s corporate headquarters in Manhattan’s Hearst Tower.

Goldberg, who is represented by Helmholz Fine Art (HFA) in Manchester Center, will bring “Circuit” from Brooklyn to HFA in Vermont for an exhibition of his works this fall. “Circuit” is also one of a series of 23 works featured in “Metagraphs: Augmented Reality Art,” a book in which the artists’ works animate directly on the book’s pages.

Born in the Bronx, Goldberg moved to Southern Vermont three years ago. He lives and works in North Bennington and is the father of a 10-year-old daughter, Aya.

Goldberg’s works have been featured on PBS and NPR, and published in WIRED and the New York Times.


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