News Release

BEN SHAHN GALLERIES TO SHOWCASE THE ARCHITECTURAL PAINTINGS OF JAMES DUSTIN Artist James Dustin, whose grid-style paintings are designed to reveal the process of collecting and organizing images, will show a selection of his recent works from September 13 through October 15 in the Ben Shahn Galleries at William Paterson University in Wayne. An opening reception for the exhibit, titled "James Dustin: Architectural Paintings," will be held on Thursday, September 30 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in the galleries. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. In this site-specific installation, Dustin groups together paintings based on a series of small architectural pavilion models and shows them in juxtaposition to paintings of industrial structures. "Architecture and building ultimately comes down to edges and joints and how things fit together," says Dustin. The artist's powerful perception of raw, uncluttered space and abandoned industrial spaces can be seen in "Architectural Paintings." Dustin, who has been painting in acrylic on wood plaques since 1986, says that initially his goal was to present groups of similar objects where the focus would remain on the paintings and not on the format. "The individual plaques provide a framework that allows the subtle differences between images to emerge," says Dustin, "while the overall pattern of plaques affects the larger area." Dustin's paintings are presented in grids that vary from 4 to 25 panels. Among his early works are the "Museum Series," based on the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, "The Civil War Series," "The Wright Brothers and Flight Series" and "Cabinet Men," a collection of anonymous 19th century portraits that included only men with mustaches. A resident of Brooklyn, New York, Dustin recently presented his works in a one-person show at Art Design Digression Ltd., Hudson, New York. He has participated in several group exhibits and his works are part of corporate and private collections. Dustin received a B.F.A. degree from the Maine College of Art, Portland, Maine. Also on view in the Ben Shahn Galleries from September 13 through October 15 are the university's annual "Art Faculty Exhibition" and "Shape and Content: Artists' Books Since 1950," which will remain on view through December 3. For additional information, please call the Ben Shahn Galleries at 973-720-2654. ### Release date: September 2, 1999 For Further Information, contact: Mary Beth Zeman, Director Office of Public Information 973-720-2966 Terry Ross, Newswriter 973-720-2205 ### Back to News Releases