PAINTINGS BY JOHN CAREY ON VIEW AT WILLIAM PATERSON'S BEN SHAHN GALLERIES

A selection of dramatic paintings by New Jersey artist John Carey will be showcased in the Ben Shahn Galleries at William Paterson University in Wayne from September 16 through October 11. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.

The one-person show, on view in Ben Shahn's East Gallery, features a selection of Carey’s recent works, which combine acrylic with other media to form works of dimension and depth. The paintings, which depict people and other representational images, often feature elaborately constructed surfaces which are built up with paint and collage and then carved away to form an almost three-dimensional space.

"There is a real film noir feeling to John Carey’s works," says Nancy Einreinhofer, director of the Ben Shahn Galleries. "His use of a dark palette of blues, browns and blacks, lend a mysterious quality, while the images and characters in the works lead you to feel there is a story that is being told."

In several works, Carey divides his canvas in half, putting two scenes together. In "Class Coverage," a man sits at a table in the right half of the painting, while on the left side, a clock in the center is surrounded by buildings, which are upside down at the top of the canvas, adding an element of surrealism.

A resident of Freehold, Carey has presented his works in numerous individual and group exhibitions throughout the Northeast, as well as in California, France and Switzerland; several are held in public and private collections. The recipient of a 1998 Geraldine R. Dodge Summer Initiative Grant, Carey also received a grant from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation.

Carey’s exhibit is one of three shows on view concurrently in the Ben Shahn Galleries. On view in the South Gallery is "Watercolor: In the Abstract," which explores the unusual pairing of abstract painting and the medium of watercolor through works by 22 contemporary artists. In the Court Gallery, members of the William Paterson Art Department faculty exhibit work in a range of media, including painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, sculpture, graphic design, computer animation, woods, furniture and textile design. All exhibits are free and open to the public and are wheelchair accessible.

This exhibit is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.

For additional information, please call the Ben Shahn Galleries at William Paterson University at 973-720-2654.

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9/9/02
For Further Information, contact:

Mary Beth Zeman, Director, Public Relations 973-720-2966