Abstraction: The New Realism
Fred Bendheim

This exhibition presents Fred Bendheim’s vibrant abstract works, which bring a dynamic and uplifting presence to the lobby space. Known for his fluid forms, refined color harmonies, and quietly playful geometry, Bendheim creates compositions that invite viewers into a state of contemplation and visual pleasure. The works balance structure and spontaneity, offering shifting relationships of shape, line, and light that change with each viewing. Installed in a bustling New York City lobby, the pieces create a moment of calm and curiosity—an encounter with abstraction that engages both daily visitors and dedicated art viewers alike.

About the Artist:

Fred Bendheim was born in Phoenix, AZ and has been making art his entire life. As a teen-ager Fred apprenticed with the artist, Philip Curtis, one of the founders of The Phoenix Art Museum. Bendheim attended The University of California, Davis, where he studied with the artists William T. Wiley and Wayne Thiebaud. He graduated from Pomona College, cum laude, and lived in San Francisco, CA for six years, where he exhibited at SFMOMA. Fred moved to Brooklyn, NY in 1984. He has had numerous exhibitions in galleries and museums: SFMOMA, The Museum of Arts and Design, NYC, The Montclair Art Museum, The Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, The National Museum of Costa Rica, The Neiman-Marcus Collection, Bradley International Airport, The Brooklyn Public Library, and the Belskie Museum. He has completed four public murals and has made fountains, drawings, collages, paintings, sculpture, and installations. Bendheim is a teaching artist at The Art Student’s League of NY and has taught at The College of Mt. Saint Vincent, Young Audiences of New York, and The Brooklyn Museum. Fred was a subject of “Created In Brooklyn”, a documentary series on Brooklyn creatives by photographer, Randy Duchaine at the Brooklyn Public Library. He has written numerous articles about art for the British medical journal, The Lancet. Fred’s art has taken him throughout the world, including exhibits in South Korea, Costa Rica, and Germany. Bendheim has been awarded grants by City Artist Corps and the New York Foundation for The Arts. Fred’s work is represented by New York galleries: Julie Keyes Fine Art, 490 Atlantic Gallery, and 440 Gallery, and is in the collections of several museums.

For more information about Fred Bendheim, visit his website.