The exhibition Brian Clarke: Between Extremities, which opened at the New York branch of Pace Gallery in 2013, featured a large selection of Brian Clarke’s paintings and works on paper from 2003 to 2012.

The press release for the exhibition writes:

‘In Clarke’s works on paper, line serves alternately as a grid-like framing device, which echoes his glass work, and as an expressive and dynamic element within the composition. The paintings are created on matte black paper or painted black canvases that absorb light, allowing for the colors to glow in a way that mimics the vibrancy of light through stained glass. Recurring motifs—heraldry, skulls and other memento mori, crosses, fleur-de-lis—appear across media, signaling Clarke’s influences and his engagement with art history and its references. His newest works also depict iconic contemporary forms, from airplanes and sports cars to light bulbs and paint tubes.’