Alfa Art Gallery

2012 – March 9 @ 6:30pm – “Three Paths to the Abstract Image” – 4th Year Anniversary Exhibition & Awards Ceremony

alfaart — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:27:45 +0000

Exhibition Duration: March 9 – April 13
Opening Reception: March 9 @ 6:30pm
Curator: Jeffrey Wechsler
Live Music By: New World Order

Awards Ceremony: Announcing the winners of the New Brunswick Art Salon 2011 Juried Exhibition

This year’s Alfa Gallery anniversary exhibition present three artists who all create abstractions, but with different approaches to technique and imagery: Chinyee, Bertha (Bert) Thompson and Tony DiBella. Since its emergence as a viable and accepted form of modernist art near the beginning of the 20^th century, abstraction has continued to act as a method of image-making that seems essentially boundless in its diversity and potential to inspire imagination and technical experimentation. Within the work of the three artists in this exhibition, one can appreciate the flexibility of abstraction to accommodate differing and highly personal sensibilities and interests, yielding particular exemplars of the range of abstract imagery, whether painterly or geometric, gestural or linear, opaque or filled with light. These artists also demonstrate how, behind the immediate impression of abstraction, sources drawn from the real world may be at work, whether literal or symbolic.

Over a career spanning more than 50 years, Chinyee’s art reveals a progression of vividly realized themes that are notably diverse yet equally reflective of a coherent, lifelong vision. While her earliest works show full mastery of traditional Chinese ink techniques and Western realism, her major influence turned out to be Abstract Expressionism. Within this style, often known for aggressive paint-handling, some artists preferred a refined and somewhat muted manner of expression, using a lighter touch and more delicate and complex manipulation of color. This style has been called “lyrical abstraction,” and Chinyee’s art is appropriate to this label. Always exploring and receptive to fresh insights, she moves smoothly from medium to medium, working with oil, watercolor, oilstick, enamel, acrylic, China marker, and collage. Her abstractions derive in part from both the calligraphic and atmospheric traditions of Chinese art, as well as the Western mode of color field painting. While her art is basically abstract, Chinyee’s Chinese heritage, in which nature is the primary source of art and philosophy, intermittently affects her imagery. Open to all sources and sensitive to the feeling of life – or ch’i – which Chinese artists find essential to meaningful expression, Chinyee allows references to nature to suffuse into her work, which might be specific, such as a lotus plant, or general, as in horizontal bands that suggest land and sky.

Bert Thompson’s work has alternated between abstraction and realism; the current presentation concentrates on a group of abstract paintings she produced between 1992 and 1998. These works are typified by geometric shapes and divisions, often with large areas of black, gray or white, set off with color forms that are sometimes bright and primary, but frequently muted, rather like rock or sand. The paint is laid down in impasto, with rich and rather glossy surfaces built up with evident individual strokes. Accompanying the large major compositional elements such as triangles, rectangles and circles are scatterings of linear motifs that enliven the compositions and resemble graffiti or scratches into the walls of buildings. Indeed, these abstractions by Thompson are cogent, if surprising, painted reactions to the physical environment of Urbino, Italy, which deeply moved her emotionally and visually. She has written: “The Ducal Palace had intricately carved marble around all the mantels, doors and window frames – a light and airy feeling. I found myself absorbing the colors – ochres, umbers, siennas; the textures and the effects I saw…. These I used in my abstractions.” Thus, these works are to some degree abstract translations of physical structures, with the stucco-like or incised impasto surfaces mimicking the irregular stone of buildings, in refined or weathered aspects. To these features Thompson may add shapes that seem like symbols or letters, providing further levels of interest to a series of paintings whose individual works are by turns active, mysterious, elegant, and elegiac.

At a quick first glance, the imagery of Tony DiBella might suggest subtly painted abstractions of the color-field variety, perhaps produced by watercolor or airbrush, given their smooth color transitions and flashes of light. However, inspection of DiBella’s intriguing compositions of hazy color and indistinct forms reveal images made not with paint and brush, but through photography, transforming quite ordinary objects and their details by carefully controlled use of out-of-focus imagery and lighting techniques. In general, his method involves illuminating an object with ambient light and carefully directed beams from small LED flashlights, then moving around the object and manually changing his camera’s focus, seeking the interplay that will produce a satisfying image. Colors may be added by reflection of materials placed around or behind the subject. From time to time, he leaves just enough of his subjects in focus to allow the viewer to comprehend their original physical presence, their solidity, although rarely in amounts sufficient to easily reveal the identity of the objects. Generally, he titles his photographs not with their true source, but rather with a form or concept suggested by the color miasmas and amorphous shapes in the final composition. For example, The Dove is the result of photographing through a paperweight; Sandbar captures effects derived from a candelabra of square-edged, modern design. In DiBella’s work, we find the path to abstraction moving straight through the real world, and, via the agencies of technology and imagination, creating a new world of invented form, color, and light.

Sponsors:

2012 – Feb 9 @ 9:00pm – No Funny Business Comedy Show

alfaart — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:52:05 +0000

On Thursday night, “No Funny Business” is back at Alfa for another great show! Join us on February 9th at 9pm.

No Funny Business (NFB) is like no other comedy show you’ve ever seen before. It is an original, live show that is guaranteed to keep things fresh and keep you laughing! NFB seamlessly blends stand-up from the best in local comedy with the staging and sit-down interviews of a late night talk show. Not to mention, NFB will feature live musical acts and special guests from various industries to give its audience a complete night of entertainment. The comedy show has consistently drawn in a large, diverse crowd comprised of students, local civilians, and professionals. So if you are looking for a fun-filled night that won’t break your wallet, where you can let loose, laugh, and even learn something new, then check out No Funny Business in downtown New Brunswick!

Enjoy the comedy stylings of:

Ron Snipes
Kevin Danger
Ty Raney
Stephen Hilger
Dan Speiser
Justin Flanagan
Boris Khaykin
John Post

The special guest this time will be Ron Snipes, a standup comic who saved a suicidal man’s life last week right here in Middlesex County!
Charlie Kratovil will be the host, once again, and we’ll get to see how close he came to matching his suits with his shoes!
Plus, rock out to live music from our house band Conkey & The Patrick Swayzee Express!

Come join us for a unique live comedy show in downtown New Brunswick geared towards fostering and exploring the art of standup… cheap cover and a good crowd, guaranteed.

You can also follow No Funny Business on Facebook (www.facebook.com/groups/nofunnybusiness), Twitter (www.twitter.com/NFBcomedy), and on FourSquare (No Funny Business Comedy Show).

2012 – Feb 10 @ 6:30pm – “A Two-Man Show”

alfaart — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 02:06:04 +0000

Exhibition Duration: February 10 – March 9
Opening Reception: February 10 @ 6:30pm
Curator: Kathryn Mecca
Live Music By: New World Order

Alfa is pleased to present A Two Man Show, featuring the sculptures of Jivko Jeliazkov and the paintings of Vesselin Kourtev. Neither realist nor symbolist, this humanistic collection provokes the mysterious realm of life. The works are both inspired by and attractive to the subconscious and leave the viewer to think, reflect and dream in their shadow. Both artists are classically trained yet experimental in their approach. Through their heavily abstracted lense, we see suggestions of the figure, both in subject and concept. Jeliazkov’s architectural sculptures act as the skeleton and Kourtev’s colorful oils are the organs and skin. Together they give us a complete expression, inside and out, of distinct facets of the human spirit.

Jivko Jeliazkov is a renowned sculptor whose works are found in prestigious collections all around the world. Originally from Bulgaria, he is especially well known in Paris, France, where he has lived and worked since 1990. His architectural compositions are full of life and movement, with themes revolving around man’s evolution and transcendental fate. With a delicate balance between traditional matters and contemporary forms, Jivko’s sculptures seduce the viewer’s subconscious. He captures wild and primitive energies with his soft and angular geometry, leaving us heavily humanistic pieces teaming with mythological meaning.

Vesselin Kourtev is recognized internationally as an artist who uses the cultural traditions of many countries. Bulgaria, where he grew up, is a constant presence in his work. He uses traditional, narrative drawing techniques combined with abstract- expressionist painting techniques. His paintings pay homage to works by artists of past centuries, like Arnold Bocklin and Walter Crane. Vesselin’s engaging, stylized figures are always engrossed in some curious or intriguing activity. His use of strong, thick color is absolutely poetic. Viewers identify with his “people” because they are universal. His canvases seem to be in two worlds at once: the world that we find within our mind, and the world that we see with our eyes. His unique and personal style is a lyrical reflection of the present, where viewers may move back and forth between realism and surrealism, immersed in their own fantasy universe. Vesselin has recently been using collage techniques in his work; photographs of buildings and figures in New Brunswick bring Kourtev’s paintings even closer to home for members of this community.

2012 – Feb 3 @ 6:30pm – Black History Month Celebration – Group Exhibition

alfaart — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 02:05:16 +0000

Exhibition Duration: February 3-10, 2012
Opening Reception: February 3 @ 6:30pm
Curator: Kathryn Mecca
Live Music By: TBD

Alfa Art Gallery is proud to host our first annual Black History Month Celebration exhibition.

Since 1976, Black History Month has been celebrated nationally during the month of February. It is a time to commemorate important African-American figures and celebrate the crucial role they have played in American and World History.

This group exhibition combines the works of seven talented local artists who draw upon a rich history to communicate a unique cultural perspective. And they approach this perspective using a broad array of techniques and media: Narrative photography is used to document and define personal identities, abstracted yet powerful sculpture communicates strength and suffering, and realistic portraiture explores popular American culture and the sense of community. Together, these works capture the importance of this unique perspective in a well-rounded, yet powerful collection.

About the Artists

Jared Hamilton Schwartz is an emerging photographer based out of New Brunswick, New Jersey. He studies contemporary American society by focusing on themes routed in identity, race, class and youth culture. With such intimate subjects as his family and members of his close-knit community, he explores the subtle and ever changing stereotypes embedded in our social fiber. His photographs emphasize the dual existence of reality and imagination, structure and disarray, and whimsy and seriousness found in today’s generation. Jared is currently a senior at Rutgers University, where he is pursuing a dual degree in Photography and Journalism.

Paul Jeter is a draftsman, writer and painter based out of New York City. His most recent works depict the rhetoric between realism and abstraction; viewer and self; idolatry and society; morality and heroism. His watercolor series entitled “Moral Authorities” considers cultural identity through modern day icons. His recognizable portraits capture such memorable subjects as Martin Luther King Jr., Bill Cosby, Jimi Hendrix, and Elvis Presley. Their unique aesthetic is a reflection of his commercial technique, photographic realism and his background in printmaking. He combines an intricate line work with flattened planes of color to develop a sort of tension in the finished product. A tension similar to what is created by moral authorities when they intrude on our personal lives by telling us how to live. Paul received his BFA from Hartford Art School in

Roberta Rose finds inspiration for her mixed media collages in discarded photographs. She pairs found images with delicate patterns and materials to develop nostalgic compositions. When looking at her works, it is like the experience of remembering. The old, faded photographs seem to regain life in the way they rise up to the surface and vaguely relate to the artifacts that surround them. Heavy in layers and texture, the finished product seems to take on a life of its own. Her award winning works have been featured in many galleries throughout the tri-state area and are featured in the permanent collection of the New York City Public Library.

Michael Gyampo is an award winning sculptor and painter. Originally from Ghana, his works have been exhibited and collected internationally, including such distinguished recipients as Carnegie Center, the Bronx Museum, Johnson & Johnson, Nabisco Headquarters and the Nissan Corporation. His works stem from themes of identity, religion, and the challenges of the human condition and are extremely versatile in context, form, medium and expression. His primitive yet forceful images communicate a possible yearning to embody one’s true identity with their stylized portrayals of the figure and bold nationalistic imagery. They command attention, yet remain deeply sensitive and spiritual. Michael has taught at the Johnson Technical Institute of Sculpture and the NJ School of the Arts program. He has guest lectured at many institutions including the prestigious Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC.

Clifford Ward’s sculptures, masks and paintings have been exhibited extensively throughout the New Jersey and Philadelphia areas. Dance lies at the center of his works. Dancers in mid flight, and their ability to create gravity defying illusions through body movement particularly fascinate him. He describes these illusions by concentrating on lines, asymmetries and fluid movements. His sculptures have a certain lightness and grace to them, which seems to evolve the longer one looks. Clifford currently maintains a studio at the Grounds for Sculpture, located in Hamilton, NJ and rated among the top ten sculpture parks in the USA.

Leroy White has been drawing and painting since the age of 10. His emphatic narrative pastel drawings capture their viewer in moments of extreme emotion by using serene and often celebratory imagery. From joyful choirs and colorful street merchants to excited children playing on the beach, his works recreate everyday moments of beauty as he experiences them. These drawings are infused with energy by his use of vibrant colors and dynamic compositions. Leroy finds his inspiration in his family, church community and friends. He is a member of the Pastel Society of New Jersey and currently teaches Graphic Design and Animation at the Anthem Institute in Jersey City.

Autin Dean Wright has been exhibiting his award winning sculptures internationally for over 25 years. Born and raised in Jamaica, Autin moved to the United States in 1987. His modern compositions are clean, sleek and highly abstract. They are minimalist, yet forceful with a loud presence. It is quite possible that their simplified form may be their strongest feature; they seem to be able to speak loudest with the fewest words spoken. These smooth, highly polished masses appear to have a vitalistic energy to them, emphasized even further by their large, life-like size. And it is clear, when looking at these works, that the artist’s confidence has taken shape. Autin’s work was included in the National Fine Arts Exhibition in Jamaica and he was the recipient of the Simon Bolivar Sculpture Competition Award hosted by the Venezuela Embassy in Jamaica. He currently lives in Trenton and maintains a studio at the Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, New Jersey.

2012 – Jan 26 @ 9pm – No Funny Business Comedy Show

alfaart — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 17:22:44 +0000

On Thursday night, “No Funny Business” is back at Alfa for another great show! Join us on January 26th at 9pm.

You can also follow No Funny Business on Facebook (www.facebook.com/groups/nofunnybusiness), Twitter (www.twitter.com/NFBcomedy), and on FourSquare (No Funny Business Comedy Show).

2012 – Jan 13 @ 6:30pm – On Tour – Photography Exhibition

alfaart — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 00:54:42 +0000

Duration: January 13 – February 3, 2012
Reception: Friday, January 13 @ 6:30-10:30pm
Curator: Kathryn Mecca
LIVE Music: New World Order

Special Guest Photographers: Andrew Darlow and Whitey Warner

On Tour: the third annual group photography exhibition at Alfa Art Gallery. Featuring works from five talented artists, this exhibition focuses on photography as a reflection of space and place. From the local markets of rural South Korea to the majestic landscapes of Switzerland, each of these artists provides us with a piercing sense of place. As a collection, these works offer a glimpse into the natural and cultural diversity across three continents.

Join us for the opening reception on Friday, January 13th at 6:30pm, with live music by the New World Order and photography by Jay Seldin, Jennifer Lugris, Christopher McGuigan, Mary Conlon and Mike Lindwasser (click each artist’s name for more info). The exhibition will remain open through February 3rd.

Jay Seldin is a professional photographer, digital media artist and master digital printmaker. His photographs have been featured in various solo and group exhibitions nationally and abroad. He travels the world to document cultures through portrait based photography. Past series include location based works from Cuba, SouthEast Asia, China and Italy. On Tour features nearly 15 pieces from his Haitian and Indian series. He captures people in ordinary yet whimsical moments, which effectively communicates the idiosyncrasies of their culture. His systematic use of color makes his subjects pop from their monochromatic backgrounds. The resulting photographs are personal, playful and optimistic in nature. Jay has been awarded numerous awards including a fellowship from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation and is currently the artist-in-residence at Montclair Art Museum.

Jennifer Lugris is a graduate of Rutgers University, where she received her BA in Sociology with a concentration in Photography. Her work combines her interests in travel, photography and the study of culture. With series from South Korea, Spain, Germany, Guatemala and Uruguay, Jennifer studies the social and cultural diversities that range with location. She focuses on simple images and primary colors to give the viewer an unembellished record of a place. Jennifer currently lives in Alhambra, California, where she works as a research assistant for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

Mary Conlon is currently pursuing her BFA in photography at Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. Alfa is proud to present this emerging artist’s five diptych Spain series. Her images are captured in public spaces, with subject matter ranging from architecture to pedestrian life. This series captures her desire to understand a foreign culture as an outsider. Through her process, she remains detached from and observant of the culture she visits. Originally from Trenton, New Jersey, Mary has participated in various exhibitions throughout the State. This past year, she interned at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City.

Mike Lindwasser attended the School of Visual Arts and currently lives and works in New York City. Alfa presents his location based photographs, all of which are shot in various cities throughout the United States. He distorts his images with the use of fades and colored tints and focuses on such dream-like subjects as windows, puddles, docks and trees. With their limited colors and reflective imagery, the viewer cannot escape their solemn tones/moods. Mike is originally from Queens, New York and comes from a family of artists. His artistic focus has been on photojournalism, portraiture, fashion photography and the documentation of social events.

Chris McGuigan has been the resident photographer for Alfa Art Gallery for the past year. His work is a mix of staged studio photography and candid landscapes and cityscapes. On Tour features his majestic black and white landscapes of the Adirondacks region of New York State. This series captures the raw but dormant power of the region and focuses on its tumultuous skies and rocky landscapes. Their monochromatic format underscores further the contrast between the explosive potential and the docile solitude of nature. Chris received his BA from Rutgers University and currently works as a wedding and portrait photographer at the Rivington Studio.

2011 – Dec 15 @ 9pm – No Funny Business – Comedy Show

alfaart — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 19:14:03 +0000

On Thursday night, “No Funny Business” is back at Alfa for another great show! Join us on December 15th at 9pm.

You can also follow No Funny Business on Facebook (www.facebook.com/groups/nofunnybusiness), Twitter (www.twitter.com/NFBcomedy), and on FourSquare (No Funny Business Comedy Show).

2011 – Dec 7 @ 8pm – Objet d’Art Magazine 20th Issue Launch Party

alfaart — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 21:40:09 +0000

Please join Objet d’Art as we celebrate the publication of our 20^th issue at our Fall 2011 Launch Party at the Alfa Art Gallery on Wednesday, December 7^th. Issues of the magazine will be available along with light refreshments. Featured poets and musicians will be reading and performing their work. Join us from 8 PM – 11 PM in celebration of our anniversary issue!

2011 – Dec 2 @ 7 pm – Archive III – Catalog Release Exhibition Opening

alfaart — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 21:32:39 +0000

Exhibition Duration: December 2 – December 23
Reception: Friday, December 2 @ 7:00 -10:30pm
Co-Curators: Jewel Lim, Kathryn Mecca
Multidisciplinary Event: The New World Order

Alfa Art Gallery is proud to present αrchive III. This group exhibition celebrates the release of the 2011 Alfa Art Gallery catalog. Our annual retrospective features 9 talented artists, whose works range in style and medium, and who epitomize the vibrant assortment of art showcased at Alfa this year. The catalog boasts selections from over 35 local and international artists, all of whom Alfa has been proud to represent in 2011.

Since its inception in 2008, this non-profit organization has been an indispensable venue for artistic expression in the New Brunswick community. This past year alone, Alfa has hosted over 30 events, ranging from lecture
series and open studios, to artist workshops and exhibitions. Having represented both established professionals and emerging artists, the gallery once again looks forward to showing an impressive array of work in
the year ahead.

“αrchive III” features the work of Dara Alter, Agop Gemdijian, John Hawaka, Carlos Frias, Jimmy Leslie, Alexandra Pacula and Vesselin Kourtev, and introduces Linda Gebhard and Brian Bulfer, who are both new to the Gallery.

2011 – Dec 1 @ 9pm – No Funny Business – Comedy Show

alfaart — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 14:54:04 +0000

Join us on December 1st at 9pm for the exciting new comedy show “No Funny Business”.

No Funny Business (NFB) is like no other comedy show you’ve ever seen before. It is an original, live show that is guaranteed to keep things fresh and keep you laughing! NFB seamlessly blends stand-up from the best in local comedy with the staging and sit-down interviews of a late night talk show. Not to mention, NFB will feature live musical acts and special guests from various industries to give its audience a complete night of entertainment. The comedy show has consistently drawn in a large, diverse crowd comprised of students, local civilians, and professionals. Plus, it is BYOB! So if you are looking for a fun-filled night that won’t break your wallet, where you can let loose, laugh, and even learn something new, then check out No Funny Business in downtown New Brunswick!

You can also follow No Funny Business on Facebook (www.facebook.com/groups/nofunnybusiness), Twitter (www.twitter.com/NFBcomedy), and on FourSquare (No Funny Business Comedy Show).