PAINTINGS BY FRANCES KUEHN ON EXHIBIT IN BEN SHAHN GALLERIES AT WILLIAM PATERSON UNIVERSITY

An exhibit of recent paintings by Frances Kuehn, whose photorealistic works explore universal elements of the human experience, are on view from October 20 through November 27 at the Ben Shahn Galleries at William Paterson University in Wayne. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.

As a photorealist, Kuehn uses photographs as a starting point for her artworks. Her one-person exhibit, in Ben Shahn’s East Gallery, features a selection of the artist’s current paintings, which are based on photographs of staged scenarios enacted by Kuehn and her husband, the mathematician Ray Hoobler. Interested in sharp resolution in her painted images, Kuehn prints a whole range of exposures in order to gather the desired visual details.

In "Personal," Kuehn is depicted shrouded by a dust cloth as if she were an upholstered chair in an infrequently used living room. Only her shoes provide the clue that the ghostly model is a female. In the companion piece "XY," the obscuring drop cloth has a graph paper-like grid pattern, a covert reference to her husband’s occupation. She hides all the personal information except the bottom of his trouser legs, his socks, and shoes.

Kuehn also turns a fresh eye to the embodiment of well-worn phrases. In "Thataway," the artist appears out on a limb; we cannot see the distance to the ground or the full height of the tree.
A graduate of Douglass College, Kuehn earned a master of fine arts degree from Rutgers University. She has exhibited her works in numerous one-person and group shows throughout the Northeast. She lives in New York City.

Kuehn’s exhibit is one of three shows on view concurrently in the Ben Shahn Galleries. On view in the South Gallery is "25 Years of The Jazz Room at William Paterson University," which features photographs by JoAnn Krivin that document the many world-class jazz musicians who have performed during the University’s acclaimed concert series. The Court Gallery exhibit, "Life with Pocket Change and Other Pleasures: An Exhibition of Artists’ Books," presents recent demonstrations of books created as works of art. 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, 973-720-2654.

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10/15/02
For Further Information, contact:

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