Studio Montclair presents ‘Discovery in the Detail’
Discovery in the Detail
34 diverse artists
Studio Montclair,
127 Bloomfield Ave., Montclair
The exhibition runs through May 19
By GIOYA MCRAE
For Montclair Local
A new exhibit at Studio Montclair gives an intimate view of 36 artists’ works of art from oil to sculpture.
Catch a close up view of the artwork of 34 diverse artists in “Discovery in the Detail.” The exhibit runs through May 19 at Studio Montclair, 127 Bloomfield Ave., Montclair.
The exhibit includes the work of 34 artists in a multitude of media and variety of subjects.
“I had asked Nette Forné Thomas to curate the exhibit. She wanted an original piece of art and then she wanted the artist to focus on a detail in the art and recreate it. The details were recreated after the artists were asked to join the show,” Founder and Gallery Director Virginia Block.
The artists took leaps of faith in presenting just a portion of their of works and with them being also so up-close and personal, said Executive Director Susanna Baker.
“The thing that I found really exciting was the way each artist interpreted their detail. We asked them to focus on what they would have as the detail, crop it and submit a digital image. So we were taking a chance because, in a way. We didn’t know how the detail was going to turn out,” Baker said about each finished piece.
Forné Thomas said the exhibition didn’t require the artist to fit into a theme such as nature romance.
“I thought it would be interesting to have artists take something they already created and look at it and find something that captivated them and [exhibit that],” Forné said.
The call for artists generated over 100 entries who were then pared down to 34 artists, each presenting an original piece and a recreated detail from that piece.
Sculptor and artist Barbara Minch, who also teaches collage at the Montclair Art Museum, exhibited “Sharon,” a life-sized paper clay sculpture.
“Some of the details are even more powerful than the originals, because they focus on the gist of the subjects. That’s what it did for me too. I found a new way to do sculpture,” said Minch.
Scale is now an influencer in sculptor Kimberly Callas’ works, said the artist.
“I really love the larger scale. I thought I was already working large, but I can work even larger,” Callas said. “People are examining work at a really close level.”
The attendees had no choice but to look at the artists work much closer, because the artist exhibited the detail.
Oscar Peterson exhibited his oil painting “Bound,” and said people get a more view of his art.
“That just gives me chills,” Peterson said.
Participating artists are Eric Andrews, Susanna Baker, Josephine Barreiro, Kimberly Callas, Ekaterina Ermilkina, Harriet Finck, Anita Gladstone, Karen Goldberg, Evelyn Graves, Patricia Hutchinson, Linda Jacobs, Paul Jervis, Maya Just Maya, Neal Korn, Jennifer Malone, Helene Manzo, Cathleen McCoy Bristol, Beverly McCutcheon, Len Merlo, Barbara Minch, Priscilla Mongeau, Haeree Park, Oscar Peterson, Sarah Petruziello, Ron Powell, Wendy Rosenberg, Karen Rossen, Sharon Sayegh, Danielle Scott, Miriam Stern, Onnie Strother, Loura van der Meule, Andrew Wohl, Tony Zaza.
“It’s a show that appeals not only to the people who come out to see it, but the artists enjoyed it. They really enjoyed looking at their work and selecting one aspect,” said Forné Thomas.
Studio Montclair Inc. is a non-profit organization of exhibiting professional and emerging artists and others interested in the visual arts. The mission of the organization is to promote culture and education in the visual arts.