The American Federation of Arts (AFA) is pleased to announce that artist Fred Tomaselli is the next featured speaker in its 2009/10 ArtTalks series. Following the lecture, audience members are invited to participate in a question-and-answer session and a wine reception.

About Fred Tomaselli: Fred Tomaselli is internationally recognized for highly textured paintings in which printed materials culled from a variety of sources are layered with leaves and pharmaceuticals and encased in a thick layer of clear resin. The dazzling images and patterns that result explore visions of utopia and dystopia—a transformation of the familiar world into images of great beauty. The influence of chemical substances has been a recurring theme in Tomaselli’s work, and his baroque collages have incorporated a wide range of prescription and non-prescription pills, hallucinogenic plants, and even nicotine patches—devices that enable him to comment on the role of perception in art.

A native of California, Tomaselli is currently New York–based. His work has been featured in solo exhibitions at the Whitney Museum of Art, the Palm Beach Institute of Contemporary Art, and the Albright-Knox Gallery of Art; and in group exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Biennial, and Site Santa Fe, among others. A large survey of his work recently on view at the Aspen Art Museum will travel to the Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum before its final stop at the Brooklyn Museum in late 2010.

 In-kind support for ArtTalks is provided by Christie’s.

 About the American Federation of Arts: Celebrating its 100th anniversary, the AFA is a nonprofit institution that organizes art exhibitions for presentation in museums around the world, publishes exhibition catalogues, and develops various educational programs. The AFA’s mission is to enrich the public’s experience of art and understanding of culture by organizing and traveling a diverse offering of exhibitions embracing all aspects of art history. Over the years, millions of visitors in museums around the world have viewed more than 3,000 AFA exhibitions. For more information about the AFA’s exhibitions, publications, artist talks, and online resources, see www.afaweb.org

When:                          Tuesday, April 13, 6:30–8 p.m.

Where:                         Christie’s, 20 Rockefeller Plaza, 49th Street between 5th and 6th avenues

Getting There:                  Subway: B, D, F, V to Rockefeller Center; E to 53rd Street

Tickets:                         $15; $10 for AFA members and students with valid ID. Seating is limited and reservations are required. For reservations, please call 212.988.7700 ext. 210, e-mail arttalks@afaweb.org, or visit www.nycharities.org.

Press Contacts:                  Michaelyn Mitchell, Director of Publications and Communications, 212.988.7700 ext. 228 or mmitchell@afaweb.org