Friday, Jan 22, 2010
Harry I Naar, professor of Fine Arts at Rider, recently had two of his drawings selected for a group exhibition entitled Realism Unbound: Contemporary Representational Art in New Jersey, at the Noyes Museum in Oceanville, N.J. Eighteen renowned artists from the Garden State have presented images of the real world in interior spaces, as well as pure plein air landscape, as selected by widely respected American artist Lois Dodd. The exhibition, which pushes the boundaries of representational painting, began on November 6 and will run through February 14, 2010.
“My drawings are derived from direct observation from nature, analytical organization and memory experiences,” said Naar, who is also the director of the Rider University Art Gallery on the Lawrenceville campus. “I want to create images that will go beyond the literal depiction of nature and perception ‘to reveal,’ as the French painter Jean Helion stated, ‘the invisible through the visible.’”
Naar’s drawings will be joined in Realism Unbound: Contemporary Representational Art in New Jersey by works from artists Rita Baragona, Robert Birmelin, Paul Carrellas, Lois Dodd, Jeff Epstein, Daniel Finaldi, Leslie Hertzog, Lynn Kotula, Barbara Kulicke, Arthur Kvarnstrom, Mel Leipzig, Terri McNichol, Deborah Nelson, Elizabeth O’Reilly, Linda Pochesci, Kyle M. Stevenson and St. Clair Sullivan.
The common link between these exhibitors is Lois Dodd, one of the most widely respected painters in America, whose long career involves a steady presence in New Jersey. Dodd set the path as a mentor and inspiration for the entire group, according to the Noyes Museum Web site.
“As a community of artists, not simply the individual, they grow together. Their work shows implications of the impact and influence of each other,” the Noyes site exclaimed. “The artist’s personal journey or identity is absolutely evident; still there is a common foundation. New Jersey is another major factor in the inspiration of the group. They have spent many hours painting together in Northern Jersey.”
The Noyes Museum of Art is located at 733 Lily Lake Road in Oceanville, N.J. For more information about Realism Unbound: Contemporary Representational Art in New Jersey, visit the Noyes Museum on the Web at http://noyesmuseum.org/ or call 609-652-8848.