“Portraits & Perennials,” an exhibition of paintings and works on paper by Robert Kushner, opens tonight at DC Moore Gallery, where it’s on display through March 18. In an essay accompanying the exhibition catalog, “Do REAL Men Paint Flowers?”, Kushner writes, “So, are geometry and botany at peace? In dialogue? At each other’s throats? I would like to think that when I am done after working on it for weeks and sometimes months, there is an interesting and intentionally confusing juxtaposition between pure abstraction and linear form—that they each balance one another and create their own tightrope act.”

Robert Kushner, Taro Leaves, 2016, acrylic, gold leaf, and collage on paper, 49″ x 33 1/2″.

Palm Frond II, 2016, acrylic and collage on paper, 25″ x 40″.

Purple Pond Frond II, 2016, acrylic and collage on paper, 17 1/2″ x 26″.

Three King Alfreds, 2016, oil, acrylic, and gold leaf on canvas, 72″ x 72″.

Pink Peony-Dark Background, 2016, acrylic and collage on paper, 26″ x 39″.