Defining Moments:
Works That Shaped Contemporary Art
Inspired by a recent visit to the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh for the 59th Carnegie International, David Smith, owner of Eisele Gallery, wanted to present an exhibition drawn from the gallery's collection that celebrates what is often described as "Contemporary Art."
While many of these works are no longer contemporary in the strict sense of the word—some were created more than 35 years ago—they represent the groundbreaking artistic movements of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. These are works by artists whose ideas challenged conventions, influenced generations of creators, and helped shape the course of contemporary art.
The exhibition features works by internationally recognized artists including Ryan McGinness, David Ellis, Sandy Skoglund, Donald Baechler, Gilbert & George, and Damien Hirst. Today, these artists have firmly established their place in art history, and their works remain highly sought after by museums and collectors around the world.
This exhibition offers an opportunity to revisit these influential artists through exceptional works from the Eisele Gallery collection, celebrating their lasting impact and enduring relevance.
Screenprint
23 x 23 ″
Artist proof.
Frank Rowland (1927–2012) was an American artist, master printer, and designer known for his work in painting, printmaking, illustration, photography, and industrial design. Born in Altoona, Pennsylvania, he studied art in Pittsburgh and Chicago before building a diverse career that included architecture, film set design, museum exhibitions, and commercial art. Rowland was especially recognized for his expertise in fine-art serigraphy (silkscreen printing), producing prints for prominent artists while also creating his own abstract and geometric works. His art is noted for its bold use of color, form, and visual experimentation.
8 x 8 ″
Edition 69/150. Wegman, born 1943 in Holyoke, Massachusetts, was classically trained in painting at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, but is best known for his humorous photos of his Weimaraners. He has published several childrens' books featuring his dogs, created film and video work for major networks, and has art in the collections of major museums such as the Met and the Whitney Museum of Art.
34 x 30 ″
Originally from Cincinnati, George Schmidt currently lives and works in Durango, Colorado. He is chiefly interested in architecture, design, landscape, color, and form, and both his sculptural and painterly works reflect that - using bold colors and crisp shapes to create a solid yet abstract sense of space and dimension. He has an MFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and his work has been exhibited in cities across the USA.
37 x 37 ″
Originally from Cincinnati, George Schmidt currently lives and works in Durango, Colorado. He is chiefly interested in architecture, design, landscape, color, and form, and both his sculptural and painterly works reflect that - using bold colors and crisp shapes to create a solid yet abstract sense of space and dimension. He has an MFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and his work has been exhibited in cities across the USA.
Acrylic on board
38.5 x 29.5 ″
Damien Hirst (born 1965) is a British contemporary artist best known for his provocative works exploring themes of life, death, science, and belief. Rising to prominence in the late 1980s as a leading member of the Young British Artists, Hirst became famous for installations featuring preserved animals, medicine cabinets, and his colorful "spot" and "spin" paintings. His work has been exhibited in major museums and galleries worldwide, making him one of the most influential and commercially successful artists of his generation.
Serigraph
13 x 18.5 ″
498/1500
Charley Harper (1922–2007) was an American artist and illustrator known for his colorful, minimalist depictions of birds, animals, and nature. Based in Cincinnati, Ohio, Harper developed a distinctive style he called “minimal realism,” using simple geometric shapes, bold colors, and clean lines to capture the essence of wildlife. His work became especially influential in modern nature illustration and conservation art.
Screenprint in colors on Ultrachrome photograph in 10 parts
34 x 55.75 “
David Ellis (born 1971 in Raleigh, North Carolina) is a prominent American multimedia painter, filmmaker, and installation artist based in Brooklyn, New York. He is best known for his "motion paintings"—spontaneous, time-lapse animations documenting his painting process—and his kinetic sound sculptures that explore the intersection of urban culture, music, and physical space.
Monoprint
40 x 26 ″
Ryan McGinness (born 1972) is an American artist known for his bold, graphic paintings, sculptures, and installations inspired by design, advertising, and public signage.
McGinness is known for blending fine art with graphic design, using symbols and visual language to explore communication, identity, and contemporary culture.
woodcut on paper
12 x 9 ″
The Corrupt (Hell: Canto 22), 1960-64
Salvador Dalí (1904–1989) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, writer, and filmmaker best known as one of the leading figures of the Surrealist movement. Born in Figueres, he became famous for his highly imaginative, dreamlike artworks filled with striking symbolism and meticulous detail.
Dalí was known not only for his artistic talent but also for his eccentric personality, dramatic public appearances, and distinctive curled mustache. His innovative style and lasting influence made him one of the most celebrated and recognizable artists of the 20th century.
29 x 29 ″
Donald Baechler (1956-2022), a New York-based painter and sculptor, made work that largely dealt in childlike themes. He repeatedly drifted towards subjects like balls, blocks, figures, and flowers, and his work was noted to be playful, sunny, and animated - vivid colors, nostalgic imagery, and expressive figures drawing in audiences both young and old. His work is a part of several museum collections, including the MoMA, the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, and the Guggenheim.
Screenprint
25 x 17.5 ″
AP 3/10.
Robert Longo was born in 1954 in Brooklyn and has a long and storied history in protest and political organizing. His work is intrinsically tied to social change; his large-scale photography often depicts ostensibly political images and captures moments of protest, most recently the Black Lives Matter movement. He lives and works in New York and is represented by galleries internationally.
Screenprint in colors on Ultrachrome photograph in 10 parts
34 x 55.75 “
David Ellis (born 1971 in Raleigh, North Carolina) is a prominent American multimedia painter, filmmaker, and installation artist based in Brooklyn, New York. He is best known for his "motion paintings"—spontaneous, time-lapse animations documenting his painting process—and his kinetic sound sculptures that explore the intersection of urban culture, music, and physical space.
Inkjet on canvas in three parts
24 x 72 “ each, triptych
Ryan Joseph McGinness (born January 9, 1972) is an American artist, living and working in Manhattan, New York. Known for his original extensive vocabulary of graphic drawings which use the visual language of public signage, corporate logos, and contemporary iconography, McGinness creates paintings, sculptures, and environments.
Oil on canvas
18 1/2 × 16 1/2 in
Ficre Ghebreyesus was born in Asmara, Eritrea. He left the country as a political refugee and lived in Sudan, Italy and Germany before coming to the United States, where he earned his undergraduate degree and worked as a humanitarian activist on behalf of Eritrean independence and on-going relief issues. Along with that work on behalf of his country and its people, he studied painting at the Art Students' League and printmaking at the Bob Blackburn Printmaking Workshop, both in New York City. He later studied at Yale University, where he earned his MFA in 2002 and was awarded the Carol Schlossberg Prize for Excellence in Painting at graduation.
Oil on canvas
18 1/2 × 16 1/2 in
Ficre Ghebreyesus was born in Asmara, Eritrea. He left the country as a political refugee and lived in Sudan, Italy and Germany before coming to the United States, where he earned his undergraduate degree and worked as a humanitarian activist on behalf of Eritrean independence and on-going relief issues. Along with that work on behalf of his country and its people, he studied painting at the Art Students' League and printmaking at the Bob Blackburn Printmaking Workshop, both in New York City. He later studied at Yale University, where he earned his MFA in 2002 and was awarded the Carol Schlossberg Prize for Excellence in Painting at graduation.
25 x 31 ″
Edition of 11/25. Sandy Skoglund (b. 1946) has a style of photography that is characterized by "[embracing] blatant artificiality," delightful compositions that intentionally repeat patterns and capture viewers with an emphasis on a particular color, and a focus on the subjects of food and animals. She is particularly interested in combining the aesthetics of corporate advertising with the fine art world, expanding on both traditions with a playful exuberance and strong conceptual core.
31 x 44.5 “
mixed media on wood
$2000
Paper Rad was an art collective from approx. 2000 until 2008, based on the East Coast in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Providence, Rhode Island in the United States. Known for creating comics, zines, video art, net art, MIDI files, paintings, installations, and music with a distinct "lo-fi" aesthetic often associated with underground culture or 1990s "retro tech", juxtaposed images and featuring bright colors.
15 x 11 ″
Originally from Cincinnati, George Schmidt currently lives and works in Durango, Colorado. He is chiefly interested in architecture, design, landscape, color, and form, and both his sculptural and painterly works reflect that - using bold colors and crisp shapes to create a solid yet abstract sense of space and dimension. He has an MFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and his work has been exhibited in cities across the USA.
48.5 x 35.75 ″
From the series: LONDON TELEPHONE BOX CARD PICTURES