NIGHT RHYTHM
OIL PAINTINGS
Ida Marx
SCULPTURE
Debora Meltz
April 9th through May 28th 2016 Curated by Mary Z
NIGHT RHYTHM OIL PAINTINGS
SCULPTURE
Ida Marx
Debora Meltz
CURATOR STATEMENT
I
have been drawn to night paintings since I first encountered James Abbott
McNeill Whistler’s (1834-1903) “moonlight” paintings at the Gardner Museum in Boston as a teenager. On a trip to Chile in 1866 Whistler first painted three night scenes, which he later referred to as “nocturnes”. Whistler had perceived that hues of blue and violet remained visible even after dark and by incorporating that realization into his nocturnes they became more vibrant and convincing then night paintings that preceded his. When I first encountered Ida Marx’s night paintings I immediately saw a painter who truly understood this and whose keen observation and able brush was capable of translating this into the marvelous cityscapes that comprise this exhibit. In these paintings Marx translates her familiar environment into vital and moody renderings of places suspended in time for us to encounter and interact with as she did. On close inspection many appear abstract but it is the assured stroke and placement of color by her deft hand that creates the effect of blurred reflected light on pavement or radiating from lit windows amidst building facades shrouded in darkness. In her own words: “The scenes I paint of New York are current, but feel timeless to me. These
scenes are snapshots representing my experience of an urban upbringing. My grandparents settled as immigrants in East Harlem, and I grew up in New York City – I have an affinity with Harlem and uptown Manhattan and documenting cityscapes that are part of the unique aesthetic of New York City is a passion of mine. It is a way of preserving and freezing in time a small section of the urban landscape in this ever-changing city. Regretfully, as I document, developers continue to destroy the history of our unique streetscapes, uprooting families and of course, the artists that once made New York a cultural destination. My paintings sometimes convey the subtle changes in light and color that take place during different times of day or night, or the changing of seasons. Lighting affects and conveys so much of what we see and how we see it. It triggers associations by illuminating and highlighting, also obscuring and hiding. I’m fascinated with the diversity of building types, size, colors and textures and how they all work together as a visual rhythm.” When thinking of pairing her work with another artist Debora Meltz immediately came to my mind. Her hand built sculptures evoke the quality of myth and archetypes that may dwell in dreams or outside of our normal state of perception. These are the figures that deal in the ancient practices of divining, predicting and interpreting our fates as well as the fate of the creatures and world around us. For instance “The Chloromancer” is a healing specialist who
draws on the vital energies of plants and nature to find a balance between life and death. He casts lots or rolls the dice, to determine an outcome while “The Chiromancer” foretells the future by reading our palms. Meltz’s pieces are also animated and fanciful transporting us into a magical world where possibilities abound. 73 See Gallery is delighted to invite you to explore this joint exhibit celebrating “Night Rhythm”. – Mary Z, curator 2016
Ida Marx was born and raised in New York City. She holds a BFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York, and an MPS from the School of Visual Arts graduate art therapy program. She currently works as a licensed, board certified art therapist through a non-profit in Brooklyn. Ida has also studied at the Art Students League, Pratt Institute, and privately with Eleanor Lockspeiser and Mary Anna Goetz. Ida originally worked as an illustrator and comic artist – her art work has appeared in many publications, including the New Yorker magazine. Ida currently focuses primarily on cityscapes in oil. Her paintings have been exhibited in Federal Hall on Wall Street, the Woodstock Artists Association, Kleinert Gallery, and Bank of America in Woodstock, NY, the Newburgh Historical Society, Newburgh, NY, the Emily Hoysradt Gallery, Kingston, NY, West Side Arts Coalition, 14th Street Framing Gallery, Manhattan Borough President’s Office, and Grace Space Gallery, Brooklyn NY.
––––––––– Born and raised New York City, Debora Meltz received a BFA from The Cooper Union and holds a Master’s Degree in printmaking and drawing from William Paterson University. Her prints, multi-medium works on paper, photography and sculpture have been exhibited in galleries and museums nationally and in Canada. She has had had several national solo exhibitions and has won a number of awards in juried shows.
Please contact the Gallery: gallery@73seegallery.com with your inquiries. Curated by Mary Z.
www.73seegallery.com
I
OIL PAINTINGS
Ida Marx
ARTIST STATEMENT
Night Rhythms Obscured by a dark blanket of colors, lights, and deep dark textures constantly changing as we gaze into the obscure. We choose what is seen - only bits and pieces of the concrete are clearly visible and connected to reality - as we think we know it. The rest - ambiguous and left to our imagination. Rich with content - you decide. My paintings capture the unique rhythm, sound, light, smells and textures of my surrounding world. By seizing these moments in time I am able to share the sensory experience of my world with others. – Ida Marx, 2016
125th Street: Light Rhythms by the #1 oil on canvas 19” x 20” 500.
Abandonment oil on canvas 14” x 18” 500.
Night Stories oil on canvas 16” x 18” 525.
Deep Night oil on canvas 16” x 22” 575.
Desolation oil on canvas 14” x 18” 500.
Summer Night oil on canvas 16” x 16” 500.
Harlem Rooftops – July 4th oil on canvas 12” x 16” 400.
Night Escape oil on canvas 20” x 16” 550.
Night Vision oil on canvas 18” x 26” 675.
*
Night Mist: Union Square oil on canvas 16” x 16” SOLD
Night Hawks oil on canvas 20” x 33” 900.
Pawn Shop and Projects oil on canvas 28” x 24” 695.
Tangled Night Rhythms oil on canvas 21” x 24” 695.
Under the #1 oil on canvas 14” x 16” 500.
Waiting for the 1 oil on canvas 18” x 24” 575.
Walk in the Rain oil on canvas 20” x 18” 575.
Empire State from the East Side oil on canvas 18” x 16” 500.
On the Escape oil on canvas 19” x 24” 575.
SCULPTURE
Debora Meltz
ARTIST STATEMENT
My work is hand-built using slab construction along with modeling and carving. Because I use paper clay stoneware or porcelain, I do not use any armatures. My style is representational but not realistic. My figural works in are inspired by Kami, the Japanese word for the spirits, natural forces, or essences in the Shinto faith. Kami spirits may be expressed in forms that are human-like or animal, or abstractly, as animistic aspects or forces within nature and natural phenomena, such as rivers, lightning, wind, waves, trees, rocks, rain, etc. People and Kami are not separate entities; they exist within the same world and share its interrelated complexities. These sculptures represent the spirits of another dimension of human experience - emotions, desires, dreams, wishes, thoughts and societal constructs. – Debora Meltz, 2016
The Disapproving Observer glazed stoneware 16.5� x 7.5� diameter 900.
Pleader of Lost Causes glazed stoneware 4” x 5” x 13” 450.
Chiromancer glazed stoneware 20.5� x 6� diameter 800.
Interpreter of Bones glazed stoneware 7” x 7” x 6” 400.
The Old Sorcerer glazed stoneware 15� x 7� diameter 750.
The Little Wizard glazed stoneware 11� x 5.5� diameter 450.
Bearer of Tidings glazed stoneware 12” x 7.5” x 9” 750.
The Issuer of Edicts and his Acolyte glazed stoneware 13” x 10” x 7” 1000.
Prophet: True of False? glazed stoneware 21” x 10” x 7” 900.
Cleromancer galzed stoneware 20� x 9� diameter 1200.
Please contact the Gallery by phone at 973.746.8737 or email gallery@73seegallery.com with your inquiries. Curated by Mary Z. 73 See Gallery, 73 C Pine Street, Montclair, NJ 07042 Š 73 See Gallery 2016
CATALOG #11