Robert Sagerman

The exhibition’s title, Edifice, Fount, Rippling Spaces, points to the philosophical foundations of Sagerman’s work. The “edifice” suggests both the structural substrate of a painting and a medieval Kabbalist metaphor for the layered spiritual architecture that mediates between the material world and underlying immateriality. The “fount” refers to the generative interface between these realms and also resonates through a linguistic echo in Hebrew: ma’ayan (“fount”) shares its root letters with ‘iyyun, meaning “contemplation.” Sagerman draws on this poetic resonance to evoke the internal states through which perception, reflection, and material form converge. The resulting “rippling spaces” are visual and experiential fields—paintings that embody the dynamic movement between physical process and contemplative awareness.

Through this union of structure, repetition, and intuition, Sagerman seeks to cultivate what he describes as a state of simple communion within the act of making. While the conceptual and philosophical frameworks informing the work are complex, the paintings ultimately offer viewers a direct, immersive encounter with color, texture, and time—an invitation to experience painting itself as a space of attentive presence.

Robert Sagerman was born in Queens, New York, and currently lives and works in the pastoral environs of southern New Jersey. A true academic, he has five advanced degrees; he received both his BFA and MFA from Pratt Institute, where he also earned an MS in Art History. Sagerman later completed an MA in Religious Studies and a Ph.D. in Hebrew and Judaic Studies at New York University. His work has been reviewed in numerous publications including Art in America, NY Arts Magazine, Kunstforum International, and Art News, as well as the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Sagerman’s paintings are held in major public collections including the Portland Art Museum, the Karl Ernst Osthaus-Museum, and the Museum Für Konkrete Kunst.