Studio Montclair’s
WINDOWS AT 127
127 Bloomfield Avenue
Montclair, NJ 07042
Work is viewable 24/7 in the Studio Montclair Gallery Windows adjacent to 127 Bloomfield Ave.
The Windows at 127
Featuring: Sanford Drob, Allison Miskulin, John Rounds, and Dara Tesse
The Windows at 127 is an exciting alternative venue
where our members curate small group and solo exhibitions.
On view all day, every day! Stroll on by!
From the Artists
Artists Statement: Sanford Drob
In my paintings I address timeless narrative themes from a contemporary point of view. I believe that narrative, representational art can continue to encourage dialog about important philosophical, theological, political and psychological questions, without abandoning the aesthetic function of traditional drawing and painting.
As a philosopher-psychologist, and author of books on the kabbalah and C. G. Jung, some of my paintings reflect mystical and archetypal themes. The paintings I have included in this submission represent a transformation or re-signification of biblical or historical narratives. For example, in “The Expulsion,” the first painting in my “(In)humanity triptych” I have Adam and Eve, who have been banished from the Garden of Eden, peering into the future at the atrocities of the Holocaust, and in “Hypatia’s Mirror” (also part of a triptych) I have the Neoplatonist philosopher (the only woman depicted in Raphael’s “School of Athens”), who was abducted and murdered by a male mob in Alexandria, holding up a mirror to all, including here, the artist himself. In “Kristallnacht: The Exile of the Shekhinah,” I draw upon the kabbalistic notion that in times when evil predominates, the Shekhinah, the divine feminine presence, is exiled from the world.
Hypatia’s Mirror
Artists Statement: Allison Miskulin
I use a combination of paint and textiles in some of my more recent works in order to explore my own femininity and the concept of feminine beauty. Like this subject matter the paintings can be mysterious and comforting, grounding and safe at other times mystical, edgy and strange. While the backgrounds often contain flowing colors and/or stripes demonstrating water or wind the foreground contains spheres and lines creating objects that will bubble up and bounce off one another.
Spherical and Blue
Artists Statement: John Rounds
I have felt, for a long time, that maps constitute an under-appreciated form of art. As a student of history, I have also had a long appreciation for the county as a governmental, geographic, and historical institution. And then there are license plates – one of my chosen palettes. With their wide range of colors and designs, they are graphic artwork in their own right, though they become art material in many of my schemes. I try to put these three concepts together to create maps that are colorful, informative, and detailed, with a vintage feel. Maps that will, I hope, instill pride in a citizen’s county, state, and region. I’ve found that many people are delighted when they study one of my maps and they’re able to find their county, cut out to scale and labeled with its initial. If I can inspire a measure of artistic appreciation, a little wonder, and a gram of knowledge using some salvaged materials, then I count my time well spent.
New Jersey County Map, No. 18
Artists Statement: Dara Tesse
Inspiration for my artwork comes from the beauty of the natural world, particularly the woodlands of my childhood home. I remember the joy of making mud pies in my backyard near the stream, where I also looked for salamanders under the rocks, and collected wildflowers. This selection of ceramic bas-reliefs is from a series called “Lifecycles,” which explore the universal themes of life’s milestones. It traces moments of childhood, motherhood, and old age capturing the beauty of each of these stages of life. Flowers, butterflies, and birds frame the central image, inviting viewers to contemplate the harmony between human experience and the natural world. This exhibition speaks to the enduring bonds of family, friendship, and the shared moments that define our lives. “Lifecycles” is a celebration of continuity, transformation, and the quiet grace in all that grows and changes.
New York City Childhood