Suzanne Henning, "Power & Beauty"
11/2 – 11/27, 2013
Opening Reception:
Saturday, November 9, 3 – 5pm
Montclair Public Library
50 South Fullerton Avenue
Montclair, NJHours:
Monday & Friday: 10am to 6pm; Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday: 10am to 8pm; Saturday and Sunday: 1pm to 5pm
Taking the Viewer on a Visual and Mental Journey
Studio Montclair Presents, Portfolio Series: “Lay It On Me,” a new exhibit featuring four artists whose works convey a treasured tale of complexity of story and process that takes the viewer on a visual and mental journey. The exhibit will be held at Montclair Public Library (50 South Fullerton Avenue, Montclair, NJ) from Saturday, November 2 to Wednesday, November 27, 2013. All are invited to attend an opening reception on Saturday, November 9, from 3 to 5pm.
“Lay it on me” is a slang expression used for decades. That expresses a personal and informal way to communicate for the masses. The four artists represented in this exhibit, Francesca Azzara, Suzanne Henning, Nora Chavooshian, and Thomas Dunn, each have a very distinctive and different narrative expression.
Francesca Azzara’s poetically delicate colors interplay with harmonious shapes and patterns that dance across the canvas. The combination of organic and geometrically recognizable imagery causes daring adventures of physical and mental depth and emotion.
Nora Chavooshian’s cleaved and fragmented calved sculptures ask if the works are implied organic creations or man-made destruction. The excavated forms expose the viewer to veins of interior life from its exterior façade. They remind us of the basis and correlation of earth to existence.
Thomas Dunn’s descriptive precision of his black and white photographs imbue us with the feelings of the immeasurable divide between us all. Dunn’s self-portraits capture the preoccupation of identity in the ever changing moments of time.
Suzanne Henning’s combination of raw, earthy handmade papers juxtaposed with manmade visual imagery reminds the viewer not to overlook the mundane. Henning’s hand stitching unites the stratum with graphic elements of line, color and space reminiscent of home.
The exhibit is curated by accomplished artist Katie Truk, who has exhibited throughout New Jersey and the surrounding region. She appeared on News 12’s On The Scene as a fresh, emerging artist, featuring her award-winning pantyhose-and-wire creations. In her role as a multimedia art teacher, Truk has won grants to lecture and teach children and adults in New Jersey schools and art centers. She has also curated, judged, and juried events for schools, clubs, and organizations in the state.
For the viewer, ask this work to “Tell me something. Submit your story for consideration. Take me on a journey through your eyes. Give it to me straight. You know: lay it on me.” This exhibit lays it on you–four artists, many journeys for your eyes, and delivered straight.
Nora Chavooshian, "Tidal"
Thomas Dunn, "Ellen"
