Two Mediums, One World
Related Press:
Robin Caudell. “NYC artists to present paintings, sculpture at Plattsburgh State venue,” Press-Republican, Out & About, Feb 8, 2007. (PDF)
Amy Colgan-Niemeyer. “Unique Offering of Norte Maar,” North Countryman, Feb 10, 2007.
Two Mediums, One World
Hermine Ford: Paintings
John Newman: Sculpture
Feb 10 – Apr 7, 2007
Plattsburgh State Art Museum, State University of New York College at Plattsburgh, NY
Plattsburgh, NY — Plattsburgh State Art Museum is pleased to present Two Mediums, One World, an exhibition featuring the work of two prominent artists from New York City. On exhibit are paintings by Hermine Ford and sculptures by John Newman. The exhibition opens to the public Saturday, February 10 beginning at 3PM with a discussion with the artists at Yokum Hall, followed by an opening reception at the Burke Gallery, Plattsburgh State Art Museum.
This special exhibition is presented in collaboration with Norte Maar.
“In the course of art history, there have been many instances of sculptors and painters, working in similar manners. Think, for instance, of Medardo Rosso, whose wax and plaster figures display affinities with Impressionist painting or how the colorful crushed-metal sculptures of John Chamberlain resembles the similarly dense, jagged and explosively hued abstractions of Joan Mitchell. The nature of Ford and Newman’s affinity is no less concrete but it occurs not in the realm of stylistic resemblance but at the deeper, more purely structural level.”
— Raphael Rubinstein (whose text accompanies the exhibition), Senior Editor at Art in America
Disparate yet similar, familiar yet unique, the work of Hermine Ford and John Newman exists at the cutting edge of art making today. Both artists, originating from New York City, make art informed by technique and embellished by experience. Moreover, theirs is an art unhindered by fads and fashion.
Hermine Ford (b.1939) paints patterns. Combining textiles of cultures, mosaics of the past, she interlaces her compositions with brushwork and drawing inspired by topography, landscape, bends in a river, and shapes of stones. Ms. Ford’s work can be found in many prominent public collections including Arkansas Arts Center, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, Hood Museum at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, to name a few.John Newman (b.1952) sculpts metaphors. Mixing metal and stone, paper and glass with a combination of advanced technology and primal techniques he create personages that exist as characters acting out the artists’ unique dialogue.
Mr. Newman’s work can be found in many prominent public including Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, Art Institute of Chicago, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art, and the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, among others.
Plattsburgh State Art Museum (Plattsburgh, NY)
Expanding upon Andre Malreaux's concept of a Museum Without Walls, the Plattsburgh State Art Museum has become an open visual art resource for the college and the Northern Adirondack/Champlain Valley region. It forms an aesthetic network across the campus which makes the arts part of the fabric of the college and community. Beyond a philosophy, the "Museum Without Walls" has become the title of the installation program maintained by the Museum, which serves to display art throughout the campus. The Plattsburgh Art Museum is comprised of over 4,600 works of art and artifacts in several permanent collections ranging from antiquities to contemporary art. The collections are displayed within our main galleries, a developing sculpture park and exhibition areas throughout campus.
Norte Maar for Collaborative Projects in the Arts (NYC/Rouses Point / London)
Norte Maar creates, promotes and presents collaborations within the disciplines of visual, literary, and the performing arts: connecting visual artists, choreographers, composers, writers and other originating artists with venues and each other. Norte Maar encourages and supports innovative and educational projects in the arts, offering unique exhibitions and unusual performances. Norte Maar serves the Northern Tier of New York State, yet it's purpose and intent reaches beyond. Norte Maar aims to be a leader in building collaborative partnerships between artists and other organizations whereby uniting cultural forces to foster artistic expression and raise the imaginative energy in us all.
