FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PLEASE LIST
"ARTFUL REALITIES"
January 18th – February 12, 2022
Closing reception pending pandemic
Brett Poza * Joshua Greenberg * Sarah Riley Barbara Hillerman Lieske * Kathleen Shanahan
Charles Hildebrandt * Jenny Belin
Chelsea NY: Viridian Artists is pleased to present an exhibition of outstanding art by artists who are part of Viridian Artists' Affiliate program. The show opens January 18th and continues through February 12th, 2022 and includes Brett Poza, Joshua Greenberg, Sarah Riley, Barbara Hillerman Lieske, Kathleen Shanahan, Charles Hildebrandt and Jenny Belin. In addition to seeing this exhibit in person, see this fascinating exhibit on the Viridian Artists website at www.viridianartists.com.
What is reality? When we share experiences with others, often there are differing opinions of what happened. Artists see reality uniquely and in a variety of ways, focusing on different aspects of experiences and sites that few record in the same way, even when working realistically. Greenberg’s photos of abstracted reality are very different than Hillerman Lieske’s images of coffee shop table arrangements, but they are each expressing a version of reality. Brett Poza’s portraits using MRI’s, cat- scans, etc. are unlike the usual concept of portrait as are May DeViney’s portraits of Madonna’s which she portrays as ordinary women. Riley and Shanahan take printmaking to different places as do Hildebrandt and Belin take painting.
Thematically speaking, Kathleen Shanahan’s works are layered with meanings and associations. Mixed media works that are heavily reliant on print making processes and practices, these works also include collage materials that are byproducts of the print making processes.
Short order or informal dining is ingrained in American popular culture. “Still life” table arrangements including condiments, interior design, and restaurant name all define the personality of the establishment. Through her work Barbara Hillerman Lieske highlights what may otherwise be overlooked in her environment while these same elements may engender memories of similar experiences.
Charles Hildebrandt’s paintings in this exhibit were inspired by the many trips he has taken over the years across the Tappan Zee bridge. To look down at the Hudson River below and see the infinite distance of cliffs and water with a fleet of sailboats in the foreground is to him a wondrous site and the source for many of his works.
Brett Poza created these portraits from medical images; MRI's, X-rays. CT scans, Ultrasounds- technology generally used to diagnose and create interventions for healing. “Not anonymous, people close to me donated their records for this body of work. Some indicate illness, some ended up being perfectly normal. Representing people of different ages, ethnicities and race, they are portraits that reveal everything and nothing- pictures of people from the inside out.”
These images by Sarah Riley started with a photo of a palm tree from Gulf Shores, Alabama. “I added the flamingo. A flamingo proudly preens, reminding me of a cowboy I once knew. With these characters in mind, I combined photos and scans of my drawings, prints and paintings on the computer to create these montages. The two figures together bring to mind contradictory partnerships such as Mrs. Dalloway and Peter Walsh (from the Virginia Woolf novel), or the real tensions between artists Camille Claudel and Auguste Rodin.”
Jenny Belin’s focus this past year has been a body of work she calls 100,000 Flowers: an ongoing series of paintings to commemorate victims of COVID-19 and to raise funds for healthcare workers. Half of the proceeds from sales have been and will continue to be donated to New York- Presbyterian: Brooklyn Methodist Hospital. In June, she began creating digital images with intricately collaged elements from her flower and cat paintings.
Joshua Greenberg uses abstract photography to create contemporary art. In the Abstract Still Life series, he uses discarded items under an elevated railroad track to show the beauty in everyday objects. They appear as natural, but unfinished still life compositions, baked with sunlight. Discarded metals, wood, string and shoelaces covered with ivy, grass, and weeds, waiting to be discovered. This series illustrates how photo-based prints combine elements of photography with digital processing to create abstract art.
Viridian has created several programs to give outstanding “underknown” artists an opportunity to have their work seen. Our Affiliate program gives artists an opportunity to show a small series of artworks annually. Sadly, in these times of the Covid Virus, seeing art virtually is the safest way for all and thankfully websites and social media are making it possible for more & more individuals to have alternative opportunities, but people are nevertheless invited to come to the gallery to see the work in person wearing masks, of course.
For further information please contact
Vernita Nemec, Director or Jenny Belin, Assistant Director
visit instagram @viridianartistsinc or our website at viridianartistsinc@gmail.com