38 | MAY 6 • 2021 

A

local artist had 
more creativity 
to share after 
Lawrence Street Gallery 
in Ferndale previously 
presented his show, “Rene 
Lichtman: A Retrospective 
1960-2018, Paintings & 
Collage.” Lichtman of West 
Bloomfield now returns to 
the fine arts gallery coop-
erative with a collection of 
new abstract paintings.
His exhibit, “Chance/
Choice,” opens today, May 
6, and continues through 
May 30, including two 
receptions and an artist’s 
lecture. Admission is free. 
Interested in art since his 
early childhood in France, 
Lichtman is probably bet-
ter known in the Jewish 
community as a founding 
member of the organiza-
tion Hidden Children and 
Child Survivors of Michigan, 
and for speaking at the 
Holocaust Memorial Center 
in Farmington Hills. He tells 
visitors about hiding with 
a Christian family during 
World War II before reunit-
ing with his mother. 
Briefly, Lichtman was 13 in 
1950 when he and his mother 
settled in Brooklyn. In 1969, 
he moved to Detroit for work 
on a documentary about 
the League of Revolutionary 
Black Workers, the much-
praised film, Finally Got the 
News. He earned degrees 
at Wayne State University 
in fine arts, mass commu-
nication and a Ph.D. in 
instructional technology. He 
worked in nursing education 
at Beaumont Healthcare 
System. His family with 
wife, Cathy, includes three 
children and three grandchil-
dren.

Energetic at 82, Lichtman 
continues to be a social and 
political activist. He uses art 
as “therapy and meditation. It 
helps with problem solving, 
too.”
Despite his history, the art-
ist never pursued Holocaust 
themes. Lichtman, initially, 
was drawn to Expressionism, 
the artistic/literary move-
ment that expresses emo-
tions rather than external 

reality. Russian abstract 
painter Wassily Kandinsky, 
an important figure in 
Constructivism — an austere 
artistic and architectural 
philosophy — “was a great 
influence for me, in how pat-
terns and structures evolve.” 
Lichtman also admires the 
geometric, lyrical abstract 
paintings of California artist 
Richard Diebenkorn.

BAUHAUS INFLUENCE
Lichtman has praise for 
Bauhaus, German architect 
Walter Gropius’ school of 
design, architecture and 
applied arts (1918-33). The 
pioneering style developed 
there continues to influ-
ence modern design.
“The movement’s 
architects agreed to use 
principles of classical 
architecture in their most 
pure form: without orna-
mentation of any kind,” 
Lichtman explained. The 
work of Dutch painter Piet 
Mondrian, a follower of 
Bauhaus, offers “the most 
pure example of geometric 
constructivism.”
Lichtman defined his 
artistic style as “geometry 
and structure, with a paint-
erly touch. My painting has 
emotional elements in terms 
of texture.” 
His show’s title reflects “a 
chance element when I begin 
to paint,” he said. “Then the 
arbitrary linear elements 
develop, which help me make 
color, design, balance, struc-
ture and choices to complete 
the work.” For this series, he 
explored what would happen 
after covering the surface of a 
blank canvas with one color.
“It forces you to make dif-
ferent decisions,” Lichtman 
said. “The relationship 
changes. Putting light orange 
on a yellow background is 
very different than orange on 
top of a white canvas.” 
“Abstract painters paint 
from what their eyes can’t 
see but their mind does,” said 
artist Ed Tillery, a member of 
Lawrence Street Gallery. “We 
are glad to have Rene in our 
studio because his abstracts 
are innovative and new.” 

ARTS&LIFE
ART

Rene Lichtman’s 
paintings are on 
view through
May 30.

Abstract
 Artist

“WE ARE GLAD 
TO HAVE RENE 
IN OUR STUDIO 
BECAUSE HIS 
ABSTRACTS ARE 
INNOVATIVE 

AND NEW.”

— ARTIST ED TILLERY

ESTHER ALLWEISS INGBER 
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

“Chance/Choice,” Rene 
Lichtman New Paintings
Thursday-Sunday, through 
May 30

Lawrence Street Gallery
22620 Woodward,
Ferndale, MI 48220
Receptions: 3-7 p.m. May 7; 
2-5 p.m. May 16

Live Gallery Talk: 1:30 p.m. 
May 16, also on Facebook. 
Phone: (248) 544-0394
lawrencestreetgallery.com

Rene 
Lichtman

LAWRENCE STREET GALLERY

