collaborative effort

marlene

bruce

collaborative

Tradition

Gallery U Boutique is proud to present its latest exhibit, ”Tradition.” All of us have our own unique traditions for this time of year.

   Artists were asked to submit their favorite holiday or family tradition or the traditions of others that have moved them to create.  This collection of work tells a collective story of family, friendship, light, and joy; all the making of a Tradition.

   For our “Tradition” exhibit Gallery U Boutique located at the circle in the Root Buildings at 439 South Avenue West in Westfield, New Jersey is proud to welcome 11 local artists.

   The exhibit will be open from Thursday December 8 until January 13. A public artists’ reception for this and our Art in the Boutique show which highlights the work of Linnea W Rhodes is scheduled for Thursday December 8, from 6-8pm. All are welcome. The 11 local artists who were selected for this show include: Virginia Carrol, Avi Kiriakatis, Harriet Kushina, Charlann Meluso, Nancy Ori, Gina Petrecca, Lynn Ronan, Shalini  Prasadd, Linnea W Rhodes, Leon Seufert and Anthony Zachares.

   Linnea W Rhodes majored in Fine Arts at Douglas College, New Brunswick, New Jersey with a concentration in Printmaking (etchings aquatints and lithographs.) After graduating college Linnea worked in New York City as the Assistant to the Director of Art at Norcross Greeting Cards. While raising her family she started a business doing fine line ink drawings of houses in her hometown of Westfield, New Jersey. In 1989 she left art behind and worked for ten years as as the Executive Director of the Westfield Day Care Center. She has been painting in oil since 2000. She began working in colored pen and ink in 2006. She is presently a member of the CAG Board. Linnea Rhodes, Watercolor Collage, “Christmas Cookies” Is a bare minimalist watercolor Collage. It takes some time to appreciate. Seven popular Christmas cookie favorites are neatly portrayed in symmetrical order. 

 Virginia Carrol has been involved in art for as long as she can remember. She focused on art into her college years. For some time her focus was on her children and family, but she found that she could not stay away from her easel. She then found colored pencil as a medium and began producing drawings at such a rate that she was able to collect a body of work exceeding 40 drawings in the space of 7 months and was given a “one man” show at Hilltop Gallery in Nogales, Arizona. Since then she has continued to create drawings in colored pencil and has been accepted to many shows of renown. Ms. Carrol senses beauty in all things, particularly the flora and the fauna of the desert. Her submission for our “Tradition” exhibit, “Gala Ceremony” is crowded with a multitude of distinctive figures. Ms. Carrol demonstrates a clearly higher level aesthetic acumen. Her ability to so clearly etch distinctive features is indicative of pure talent.

   Harriet Kushins uses the camera lens to capture her soundings. The camera lens permits her, as an observer and photographer to provide an expressive perspective on the world .She focuses on nature’s beauty through her travels. It gives her an opportunity to observe, to step back, reflect, linger, and capture beauty in different spaces. The image she sees through the lens leads her to explore a subject; its angles, space and light to reveal complex relationships.      Harriet Kushins’ “All Aglow” is a digital photograph that is extremely modern; brightly shaded spheres are scattered beneath elongated, oblong shaded figures. Fireworks explode in the background of this luminescent Digital Photo. On the subject of Tradition…Not only is Tradition manifest in our unique activities as they are engaged during our lived experience. Tradition, as the historical manifestation of that lived life determines those activities. We exist in Time. It is our temporal Horizon, and our cognizance of our place in Time and to a lager extent, History that manifests itself as a Tradition.

   Tradition is a complex topic. Its manifestation is witnessed in our Christmas festivities, but those activities have much deeper roots.

   It can easily be anticipated why our director chose the theme of: “Tradition” for our latest show. It is topical, and more than many of our other shows is manifest of present times.

greg b

 marlene

tosh

joanie

BOX OF BATS PROJECT 

Handcrafted children's namesake pillows

by Marlene

The New Art Group-“Letters”

   The New Art Group was founded in 1992. It is a 23 year old collection of visual artists dedicated to helping artists get exhibits for their work in the tristate area. The current rooster of members is Susan Ahlstrom of Stirling, New Jersey. Francessca  Azzara of Westfield. The art ranges from encaustic to photography, to assemblage, installation and representational art. It provides opportunities for thousands of artists to display their work.It also has musical performances. 

The New Art Group will be exhibiting at Gallery U, Westfield from October 6 thru October 30, 2016. The artist’s reception will be held on Friday October 28, 2016 from 6-8pm.  It is a twenty three old collection

   The title of this exhibit is “Letters.” The word Letters evokes a myriad of memories, images and thoughts both ancient and contemporary. The use of Letters and words has seen an explosion in contemporary art and has become a tradition for artists to explore how texts work in a visual realm.

   The New Art Group gives the topic of letters a whole new meaning in this exhibit. “Letters” contains some interesting paintings:

   Jane Caminos’ work,”Saint Malala” presents the viewer with some interesting paradoxes. It is very explicit image of a covered Indian woman with a bright golden halo. The background is multi –colored

Paisley that is somewhat muted. The illuminated halo is overshadowed by the paisley background. The woman holds a placard with the bold lettering, ”I am stronger than fear.”

   There have been many struggles and battles that have taken place in India, including the internecine war between the North and South in the 18^th century. The fear that war creates is what I believe the reference to the placard that the woman displays. War creates insecurity. It is my contention that “Saint Malala” is Ms. Caminos’ commentary on these conflicts. 

   “Whispers in the Living Room” is a highly abstract painting that startles the senses. It is the work of Francesca Azzar. The paintings of contemporary abstract artists presents a puzzle for me.  The message that is contained within “Whispers” is not immediately obvious. Ms. Azzara’s work is striking in its presentation. It is also somewhat dark. The large black splash of color sets a somewhat somber mood. It is the overriding image in this work, but this is set in sharp juxtaposition to the light pink color of the rest of the canvas.

   The trail of bright blood splashes that trail off the end of this work somehow complete this painting. It is engaging. It also somehow demands one to grant it attention. 

   Empowerment is another painting by Jane Caminos. It is packed with imagery. A young woman who could be described as a punk rocker sits with a power cord at her feet. She appears angry. A Black bird which evokes images of Poe’s poem, “The Raven” sits on this woman’s knee. A pack of wolves hover in the background. Lemons are scattered at this woman’s feet. These are all power images. The painting is unnerving. I find it both memorizing and disturbing at the same time. 

   The use of script in art is riding a wave of popularity.  Personally I have always been enamored with the literary arts. The addition of the literary to the visual arts is an innovative idea. It adds something to the general aesthetic experience.