“Skin Freak,” an exhibition of contemporary abstract painting, will open Nov. 13 at Fort Worth Contemporary Arts, 2900 W. Berry Street. The show was organized by Frances Colpitt, Deedie Rose Chair of Art History in the TCU School of Art. It will remain at the gallery until Jan. 2, 2011.

The exhibition includes several paintings by each of the four artists: Edith Baumann (Santa Monica, CA); Darcy Huebler (Valencia, CA); Aaron Parazette (Houston, TX), and John Pomara (Dallas, TX). The artists will attend the opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday at the gallery.

Derived from a term coined by the critic Al Brunelle and referring to the tactile and seductive surfaces of abstract paintings in the 1960s, “Skin Freak” draws attention to the distinct physical presences of the paintings in the exhibition: the scale, heft, shape, and emotional tenor and weight of each.  

With elegantly refined textures, carefully honed shapes, and inventive color palettes, each artist crafts a uniquely seductive surface through the thoughtful application of paint—hand-ground pigment, acrylic, or enamel—on a variety of supports, including canvas, plywood, and aluminum.

“Skin Freak” encourages viewers to experience paintings as visceral material phenomena, rather than “images” without material dimension.