Jean-Claude Gaugy, today known as the father of Linear Expressionism, has been evolving his signature medium of paintings carved into wood for almost 50 years. Arriving in the United States as a classically trained sculptor, he discovered Americans were unfamiliar with three dimensional sculpture, so he began carving bas-relief plaques into heavy slabs of wood that could hang on walls like paintings. He learned as he carved each work, and a new art medium developed. Over the years, the results have become lyrical expressions of indelibly carved lines coupled with many richly applied layers of paint. Doing no preliminary sketching before he carves, Gaugy then applies paint with his hands, preferring direct and intimate contact with his work. Deeply emotional, semi-abstract, yet anchored in tradition, Gaugy’s passionate and gestural works cannot be mistaken for those of any other artist.