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General News: New Show Opens at Ann St. Gallery
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| "Compass" by Catherine Nash |
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| "Nothing Big" by Laura Moriarty |
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| "Celine" by Francisco Benitez |
February 25, 2010
By Gina Dianis
The ancient craft of encaustic finds a new creative meaning in the work of 15 artists that will be on display at the Ann Street Gallery in Newburgh beginning this Saturday, February 27. The public is invited to meet the artists at the opening of Fahrenheit 180: A Group Encaustic Exhibition, a collective group of contemporary artists who use the technique of encaustic in their artwork.
Encaustic is a form of painting with pigments that have been mixed into hot wax. The art form dates back to the Ancient Egyptians and was traditionally used on wooden boards as funeral masks for mummies. Since then, the technique of encaustic has evolved to include sculpture because the pigment is bound within wax and can then be molded or shaped.
Virginia Walsh, the director of the Ann Street Gallery and curator of this exhibit, selected artists who have demonstrated high quality artwork using encaustic in both painting and sculpture. She included artists from California, Washington State, Staten Island, upstate NY, NYC, local artists and one international artist from Holland. This array of artists conveys a contemporary and diverse display of the variety of ways artists use encaustic for visual interpretation.
Artist Francisco Benitez uses encaustic in a way that closely relates to the traditional technique. His realistic portraits, painted on wooden boards, bring emotion and life to the image with an almost photorealist quality.
Other artists chose abstraction as their theme. The wax is layered with different colors and materials, such as paper, ink and natural objects.
One piece, by artist Don Porcella, pokes fun at the office workspace with a creative twist of scenes within each cubicle. Local Artist Laura Moriarty designed a sculpture that sits in the center of the gallery space. Her use of small and large wax pieces melted into a variety of shapes and collectively arranged onto large wood panels gives a whimsical interpretation of color and texture.
Ann Street Gallery was established in 2007 and averages about 5 group shows a year. She prefers designing group shows because of the importance of supporting many artists. The director also coordinates workshops and lectures.
The opening reception will be held from on Saturday, February 27, from6 to 9 pm at the gallery at 104 Ann Street in the City of Newburgh. Gallery hours are Thursday through Saturday, 11 AM-5 PM, or by appointment.
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