Josh Sperling, born in Oneonta, New York, in 1984 and now based in Ithaca, is known for shaped canvases. Combining inherited woodworking skills, digital design and handcraft, he develops geometric outlines, constructs intricate plywood supports, stretches canvas over them and applies highly saturated, sometimes sharply contrasting colors.

His work builds on 1960s–70s Minimalism, Color Field painting, and Op Art, and is also influenced by Frank Stella, Ellsworth Kelly, Memphis design, and architectural forms. His works are therefore paintings that also resemble reliefs or wall sculptures, often moving between art, architecture, and design.

The original Hot Avant-Garde was completed in 2022. A unique work measuring 262.6 × 196.1 cm, it was made with acrylic paint on canvas and wood panel.

The work continues Sperling’s signature visual vocabulary: vivid blocks of color, arcs, and geometric contours interlock to create an effect reminiscent of a puzzle, a logo, or a three-dimensional relief. The composition is meticulously planned yet has a cartoon-like vitality and sense of expansion. The title can be understood as “hot avant-garde art,” with a touch of humor: it recasts historical modernist forms as bright, direct contemporary imagery infused with pop culture.