SCULPTOR JIM TOIA USES WILLIAM PATERSON UNIVERSITY CAMPUS AS A RESOURCE FOR SITE-SPECIFIC INSTALLATION
—Limited edition artist’s book, produced by William Paterson art students, accompanies exhibit

Jim Toia, a sculptor who is well known for incorporating primarily organic forms into his work, uses the campus of William Paterson University in Wayne as a resource for a site-specific exhibit there from February 2 through March 5 that coaxes nature to deconstruct recreations of Mondrian compositions and then records those changing conditions via video.

The exhibit, titled “The Piet Project,” is on view in the Court Gallery of the University’s Ben Shahn Galleries. A reception for the exhibit will be held on Sunday, February 15, from 3 to 5 p.m. Admission is free. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

As in his most recent exhibitions, which have incorporated many diverse aspects of one specific organic form, Toia’s site-specific installation at William Paterson is devoted to the woodpecker. At the heart of the exhibit are wooden bird feeders fastened to trees near Ben Shahn and which have videocameras trained on them. The signal is fed into the gallery, where it is projected on large television monitors. The bird feeders, which contain lard and feed designed to attract woodpeckers, are painted with a reproduction of a painting by the 20th century artist Piet Mondrian. The woodpeckers peck away at the painting on the bird feeder, essentially deconstructing and reconstructing the artwork. Other sculptures dealing with woodpeckers will also be on view for the exhibit.

“Over his 40-year career, Mondrian refined his observations of nature to the primary colors – red, blue and yellow – on a rectangular surface,” Toia explains. “I appreciate that modernist approach, but I have a different view, which is that nature is the only system that is perfect just as it is. Through this exhibit, I am allowing nature to deconstruct Mondrian’s work, and reconstruct it in a way that is unique.”

In conjunction with the exhibit, William Paterson art students in two classes have produced a limited edition artist’s book that is an actual miniature version of the bird feeders Toia constructed for the exhibit. Under Toia’s supervision and working with his specifications, students in “Three-Dimensional Art,” taught by Alan Lazarus, professor of art, constructed the 200 wooden boxes, while students in “Printmaking,” taught by Zhiyuan Cong, associate professor of art, painted the reproduction Mondrian paintings on the boxes.

The artist’s book is the first produced by the Ben Shahn Galleries, which maintains a large collection of artist’s books. “This project represents a unique opportunity for William Paterson students to participate in hands-on learning that puts them right in the middle of the artistic process,” says Nancy Einreinhofer, director of the Ben Shahn Galleries. “It also marks the first artist’s book created at the University, which is very significant for us.”

Toia has presented his work in numerous exhibits throughout the Northeast, including one-person shows at the Morris Museum and group exhibits in New York City and Philadelphia. His works are held in many public and private collections, including AT&T, the Dallas Museum of Art, the Morris Museum and the Hunterdon Museum of Art. Toia has been the recipient of awards from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation and the A.P. Kirby, Jr. Foundation. A graduate of Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, he earned a master’s degree in fine arts from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Toia is a resident of Califon, New Jersey.

The exhibit is one of three shows on view concurrently in the Ben Shahn Galleries. On view in the East Gallery is “Shakespeare Speaks,” a one-person show of prints and sculpture by Debra Pearlman of Brooklyn. The South Gallery features “American Impressions: Contemporary American Printmaking,” an annual juried exhibit of works by artists from across the country. 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.

For Further Information, contact:

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

1/29/04