Two exhibitions
dal 4/10/2010 al 28/10/2010
Segnalato da
4/10/2010
Two exhibitions
Atlantic Gallery, New York
William Oberst paints in the New Old Master style. His subjects -people shown only slightly smaller than life size- frequently make eye contact with the viewer as they pause in sometimes disquieting moments from daily life. The ceramic sculptures of Geri Gventer explore the roles dogs play in our society and their reaction to the demands placed upon them.
William Oberst
Paintings
An exhibition of narrative oil paintings by William Oberst will be on view at Atlantic Gallery from
October 5 to 29, 2010.
Oberst paints in the New Old Master style. His subjects—people shown only slightly smaller than
life size—frequently make eye contact with the viewer as they pause in sometimes disquieting
moments from daily life.
The critic Keith Shaw, writing in the Berkshire Eagle, described Oberst’s work as “a quiet synthesis
of photorealism and Georges de la Tour,” where figures are “frozen in an unscripted narrative full
of private psychology.” The seeming naturalism of the paintings belies what are actually highly
constructed images. Rarely were the flesh-and-blood subjects of Oberst’s pictures ever in the
locations he depicts, for example.
In his scenes, a mother comforts a child; a man with a blanket approaches a woman from behind; a
diner waitress shoots a penetrating stare at the viewer. Mystery and complexity underlie the
simplest of gestures.
Gouache studies of men, women, and children are also on view. Some are preparatory renderings
of larger oils on display.
Oberst is a self-taught artist who learned his method of layer-painting by studying masterworks in
the Metropolitan Museum of Art, supplemented by reading and experimenting. He has shown
individual works at New York City venues such as Atlantic Gallery (June-July 2010) and NYU’s
Gallatin Galleries (November 2009-January 2010), and participated in solo and group exhibitions
throughout the region. He maintains a studio-residence in downtown North Adams,
Massachusetts.
---------
Geri Gventer
Ceramic Sculptures: Instinct?/Learned?
My sculptures explore the roles dogs play in our society and their reaction to the demands placed upon them. Dogs need to modify their animalness to be successful companions to humans. Their responses to people's demands are in their body language, posture, gesture and expression.
The dog sculptures portray the dog/human created by our society. Trust, protection, fear, unconditional love, aggression are the emotional states that I try to express in the sculptures.
For more information please call Sonni Burroughs at 212-219-3183.
Image: William Oberst, Two Women And A Man, 2010, oil on linen, 40 x 46 inches.
An opening reception will be held on October 5 from 6 to 8 p.m., with a
closing reception on October 29 from 6 to 8 p.m.
Atlantic Gallery specializes in contemporary art and photography and is located on the sixth floor
of 135 West 29th Street, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues. Nearby subways include the 1 and
the 9 at 28th and Sixth and the A, C, F, R, 2 and 3 at 34th Street Station.
Gallery hours: Tuesday-Saturday 12-6 p.m.