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January 15, 2008
WILLIAM PATERSON UNIVERSITY ART EXHIBIT CELEBRATES PRINTMAKING
“American Impressions,” a juried exhibit of works by 33 professional printmakers from across the United States, will be on view at William Paterson University’s Ben Shahn Galleries from February 4 through March 7, 2008. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. An opening reception for the exhibit will be held on Sunday, February 3 from 3 to 5 p.m.
The show, in Ben Shahn’s South Gallery, includes a variety of printmaking media, including woodcut, etching, monotype/monoprint, lithography, intaglio, silkscreen, and processes involving photography-derived imagery and digital collage. The exhibit was curated by Ofelia Garcia, professor of art and former dean of the College of the Arts and Communication at William Paterson University. In addition to New York metropolitan area artists, the show includes works by artists from California, New Mexico, Colorado, Ohio, North Carolina, Florida, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Maryland, and Connecticut.
Nancy Einreinhofer, director of the Ben Shahn Galleries, says the exhibit contains a “variety of ideas and expressions representative of contemporary art, which are explored through both the traditional print mediums, such as etching and woodcut, and the latest digital technology.” The annual exhibit, which previously focused on Northeast artists, was expanded in 2004 to include artists nationwide.
Peter Jacobs of Montclair, New Jersey, has created a collage from the day’s local paper every day since March 2005; his work “11-6-07” is featured in the exhibit. “I abstract small truths printed in the newspaper to build visual ambiguities without a pre-determined narrative in mind,” he explains. “While grounded in formal choices of color, rhythm and figure-ground, the images are layered with humor, symbolism, and surreal stories.”
“School of Sunday Manners,” a print by Donna Stackhouse of Washington, New Jersey, combines old family photographs with current digital images to create a “landscape” on the computer which she prints using various techniques. “I am interested in creating memory landscapes that reflect the continuing journey we take through time and the way time distorts our sense of events and relationships,” she says.
Stephen McKenzie of Annandale, New Jersey presents a monotype, “Alien Ninja Warrior with Sex Specific Brain,” which is part of a series that incorporates the same figurative form with personal twists and touches. “Acknowledgment of cultural influences and designs employed within my work is important,” he says.
Eileen Ferara of Jersey City, New Jersey focuses on process and the discovery involved in working with different materials and subject matter in her works, which include “The Bad Tooth Book.” “I love to work with paper,” she says. “I consider paper to be much more than a base on which to create an image. It is intriguing to explore different types of papers, from fine printing to the pulpy hand-made ones I make in a blender.”
Julie Harris of Sayreville employs handmade paper, cloth, and natural objects in her works such as “Christening Gown.” “My work is largely autobiographical,” she explains. “Each piece begins as a representation of a thought or feeling, and the interweaving of the imagery along with the materials creates a visual poetry.”
In “Cologne & Perfume,” Scot Wittman of Somerset uses the language of maps to inspire curiosity while imposing nostalgia. Using recently out of print maps, with colors just out of fashion, Wittman seeks to reawaken memory and mood. “The printed territory transforms from a language of utility to that of art and pleasure,” he says. “Personal memory becomes fused with new possibilities.”
Garcia has served as a professor of art at William Paterson since 1997, and was dean of the College of the Arts and Communication from 1997 until 2006. Previously, she served for a decade as executive director of the Print Center in Philadelphia. Since then, she has juried dozens of national and regional print competitions. A member of the advisory board for the Brodsky Center/Rutgers Center for Innovative Print and Paper at Rutgers University, Garcia is chair of the board of trustees of the Jersey City Museum and a member of the board of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Garcia is also an avid print collector.
The exhibit is one of three shows on view concurrently in the Ben Shahn Galleries. On view in the East Gallery is “Prints and Company,” which features an exploration of the state of various printed matter today. The Court Gallery features “Bradford Graves – This Mirror Can Crack a Stone,” an exhibit of the artist’s sculptures and drawings from 1980 to 1998.
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.
The Ben Shahn Galleries are wheelchair-accessible. Large-print handouts are available. For additional information, please call the Ben Shahn Galleries at William Paterson University at 973-720-2654.
Note to reporters and editors: Downloadable photographs are available at http://ww2.wpunj.edu/publicityphotos/BenShahnGalleries/NationalJuried_PrintExhibit/
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