ROBERT KUSHNER Pacific, 2006 color intaglio (spit bite, aquatint and drypoint) 22 x 22 inches Retail Value: $1,750 Courtesy of HuiPress, Maui, Hawaii

Robert Kushner was born in 1949 in Pasadena, California, and earned a BA in Visual Arts from the University of California at San Diego. He moved to New York City in 1972, and was a founder of the anti-minimalist Pattern and Decoration movement of the 1970s. His early work, painted on unstretched cloth, blended a variety of western and non-western design motifs. In the early 1980s, he turned away from strict repeating patterns and began working from live models and floral subjects while maintaining a decorative sensibility.

Pacific, produced at HuiPress on Maui, exemplifies Kushner’s enduring interest in flora while providing a distinctly local touch in the use of the red hibiscus and purple bougainvillea. The pattern of lace in the background also evokes the artist’s interest in and use of textile materials.