CHARLES GULBRANDSENAmong his many significant restoration projects was the Ceiling of Grand Central Terminal, which was actually painted by his grandfather; also, Charles Gulbrandsen. During these years spent concentrating in art restoration, he was also commissioned to paint many murals for private clients. Charles’ passion for larger works would surface again with the emergence of his abstract work. Using aggressive brushwork and multiple glazing layers, each piece begins with a series of arching gestures and like a photograph coming into focus, organic structures slowly emerge from luminous nebulae. The dance of turbulence and harmony, opacity and translucency, all coalesce into images which are simultaneously abstract and surreal. This process allows Gulbrandsen to explore the encounter between the natural and perceived world by synthesizing these contradictory elements into a unified field.