Jonathan Lasker, born on July 30, 1948, in Jersey City, New Jersey, is a prominent figure in the contemporary art world, known for his abstract paintings that have significantly contributed to the postmodern painting movement. Lasker's journey into the realm of art began with aspirations of becoming a musician. He left New York after studying at Queens College to play bass guitar and blues harmonica in bands across the United States. However, his path took a pivotal turn in 1975 when he resettled in New York and started taking night courses at the School of Visual Arts (SVA), where he was inspired by the work of Robert Rauschenberg and began exploring paintings and collages. In 1977, Lasker transferred to the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) in Valencia, California, where he faced the challenge of the prevailing Conceptualist position at the school, which was critical of painting. Despite some professors being openly opposed to painting, Lasker found encouragement from guest instructors Susan Rothenberg and Richard Artschwager, whose perspectives on painting and picture space deeply influenced him. This period at CalArts was crucial for Lasker, as it was here that he developed the foundational elements of his artistic vocabulary, combining subtly patterned backgrounds with quasi-biomorphic forms and reinforcing their edges with off-register black outlines. Lasker's work is characterized by its playful and exuberant abstract canvases, where he unites doodle-like linework, dense textures, and vibrant colors to create compositions that interrogate space and movement. His paintings incorporate biomorphic shapes, geometric patterns, and a rich array of visual languages, making his work distinctive and instantly recognizable. Lasker's approach to abstraction is not just about the visual experience but also engages with themes of being and the relationship between beings and the natural world, including animals, minerals, and vegetables. Throughout his career, Jonathan Lasker has exhibited his work extensively across the globe, with solo exhibitions at prestigious institutions such as the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía in Madrid, K20 Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen in Düsseldorf, The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery in Toronto, Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, and the Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia. His work is held in numerous public collections, including the Albright-Knox Gallery in Buffalo, Centre Pompidou in Paris, High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles County Museum of Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Moderna Museet in Stockholm, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía in Madrid, The Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, The Museum of Modern Art in New York, Museum Ludwig in Cologne, National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, Rollins Museum of Art in Winter Park, Florida, and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. Lasker's contributions to the art world have been recognized with several awards, including National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship Grants in 1987 and 1989, and the New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship Grant in 1989. His work has been covered in major publications such as Artforum, Artscribe, Arts Magazine, Flash Art, New Art Examiner, New York Magazine, The New York Times, Tema Celeste, Village Voice, Bomb Magazine, and The Washington Post. Jonathan Lasker's profound impact on contemporary art continues to be celebrated and studied, making him a pivotal figure in the development of postmodern painting.

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