“Remembering Summer” and “Zen Reflections” Offer Variety of Artistic Expression
The work of two prominent artists from the New York metropolitan area will be proudly displayed at a pair of exhibitions at the County College of Morris (CCM) Art Gallery this fall.
Pool Party, Ken Rush
The first exhibition, opening September 1, marks the end of the summer season with a series of work capturing the nostalgic childhood memories of artist Ken Rush, of Brooklyn and Vermont, titled “Remembering Summer.”
“While fall, winter and spring each offered their own special moments, summertime was by far the most memorable,” says Rush. “School was out, and summer was filled with joyful stretches of sunny days and cool nights cut free from looming tests and anxiety-provoking homework.”
The exhibit features a selection spanning 50 years of Rush’s work. “It starts with images from my art school days at Syracuse University and finishes with my most recent paintings,” he says. “Along the way, the exhibition visits Coney Island, Vermont State Parks and, finally, innumerable swimming pools – the quintessential symbol of American suburban leisure.”
The work explores a variety of materials and techniques, according to Rush, who sees art as a means of extending the joy of his childhood summers.
“In these oil paintings, lurid figures lazily lounge around swimming pools and saunter up to boardwalk snack bars, without a care in the world,” according to Brian Sahotsky, CCM Art Gallery director and professor, Art & Design. “These works hold an enduring image of American leisure and ask us all to fondly remember summer.”
Remembering Summer” closes on October 6.
Beginning on October 13, come back to the gallery for some enlightenment with artist Carol Yoshimine’s exhibition, “Zen Reflections.”
Sky Mist, Carol Yoshimine
“The subject matter in my work can be loosely attributed to the contemplative state of Zen and its associated state of harmony with nature,” explains Yoshimine, executive director at the Sussex County Arts and Heritage Council. “My work is also reflective of the intangibility of existentialist philosophy and the duality between man and the universe.”
Yoshimine’s art often begins with an informal drawing but eventually evolves, incorporating mixed media into prints, monotypes or oil paintings. “It will go through numerous changes before it can regenerate itself into a diverse compilation of etched, painted, drawn, and collaged elements,” she says.
The unique pieces are characterized by contemplation, introspection, and existential abstractions, according to Sahotsky. “Yoshimine’s intangible and metaphorical artwork is an interesting juxtaposition to Ken Rush’s gallery show, in which the paintings focus on a specific cultivation of collective memory and nostalgia,” he says.
“Zen Reflections” will be open through November 17.
An opening reception, free and open to the public, will be held for “Remembering Summer on Thursday, September 1, from 6 – 8 p.m. and for “Zen Reflections” on Thursday, October 13, from 6 – 8 p.m.
The CCM Art Gallery is located inside the Sherman H. Masten Learning Resource Center on CCM’s campus, 214 Center Grove Road, Randolph. Gallery hours are Mondays through Saturdays, from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
