Liminal Fields

About the Show:

Liminal Fields is an exhibition of recent oil paintings by James Bertucci that uses construction sites across New York City as source material, reconstructing these spaces in the studio through layered processes and assembled imagery.

The paintings center on the temporary enclosures that define these sites. Across the city, development sites are bordered by eight-foot barrier walls separating the public sidewalk from private construction zones. These barricades—typically plywood painted “hunter green” or chain-link fencing—form temporary yet imposing boundaries, punctuated by small viewing panels that grant passersby a carefully framed glimpse into otherwise inaccessible, liminal spaces. Scaffolding rises above the sidewalk, while trees in adjacent planters are wrapped in layers of bright safety fencing, marking their protected status within areas slated for alteration.

For Bertucci, these apertures function as portals into a suspended terrain. Behind the walls lies an in-between landscape—overgrown, feral, and temporarily untouched until eventual excavation and rebuilding. The barriers create a tension between inside and outside, wild and contained, while quietly registering broader patterns of urban transformation.

About the Artist:

James Bertucci (b. 1989, Chicago, Illinois) currently lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. Bertucci graduated with a BFA from Laguna College of Art & Design in 2012 and completed an artist residency at Vermont Studio Center in 2015. Bertucci was a selected artist in the 2016 Southern California/Baja Biennial and has had solo exhibitions at Bob’s Gallery, Brooklyn NY and Basement Projects and B- Studios in Santa Ana, CA. Recent group exhibitions in NY include Auxier Kline, Greene House and Studio 9D.

To learn more, visit jamesbertucci.com.

About Exhibitions at MA:

For more than 15 years, MA’s Manhattan office has served as a space for rotating Art Exhibitions, showcasing the work of painters, photographers, sculptors, and other artists whose ideas resonate with the firm’s values. These exhibitions not only enrich the practice but also create a platform that inspires collaboration and builds community. As a natural progression of this platform, in 2019, MA established an in-house Art Services department to develop and deliver narrative-driven art programs that create memorable experiences and bring each project’s story to life. Over the past five years alone, MA has delivered 15 art service projects, encompassing interior, exterior, and public art programs, such as The WELCOME Sign in Brooklyn Heights. The firm has placed more than 225 individual artworks, including over 20 custom commissions, reflecting the firm’s creative range and ability to execute complex programs across various scales and typologies.

Visit ma.com for more information.

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