Morris Arts ‘Reimagining Resilience’ exhibit opens in Morristown, Feb. 10

Ibou Ndoye’s painting on glass, 'Happy Kids,' part of Morris Arts' 'Reimagining Resilience' exhibit, February 2022.
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From Morris Arts:

Four diverse, gifted New Jersey artists share their unique visions of “resilience” in Morris Arts’ new exhibit, REIMAGINING RESILIENCE, which opens at the Atrium Gallery on Feb. 10, 2022.

On floors 2-5 of the Morris County Administration and Records Building at 10 Court St. in Morristown, the exhibit features works in oils, acrylics, carved/stained wood, mixed media and paintings on glass, and spans styles from traditional African/Senegalese imagery and realistic streetscapes to neo-expressionism and abstract impressionism.

Each floor comprises a solo show, providing viewers with a comprehensive display of each artist’s style, range of expression and skills.

The fifth floor showcases Lawrenceville artist Sean Carney’s intricately carved and stained wood “paintings.” Carney depicts his favorite places — iconic landmarks, streetscapes, harbors, homes, gardens and communities -–solely through the use of dremel and water based stains on wood.

What initially appears to be a painting is, on closer inspection, a painstakingly carved and tinted image on wood.

On the fourth floor, Argentina-born artist (and former physicist) Guillermo Bublik, now of Jersey City, displays a fascinating mastery of composition and color -– in a kaleidoscope of vivid, abstract impressionism.

Some works resemble intricate jigsaw puzzles while others capture unearthly figures emerging from mists, delicate floating fronds within transparent veils or images resembling distant universes or cells under a microscope.

Bublik’s multiple, themed series of paintings intrigue both the mind and the emotions — with titles such as Mindscape, Nomads, A Sudden Leap, Through the Looking Glass, Do I Dare Disturb the Universe, Departures, Nose to Glass, etc. . They fascinate the viewer and demonstrate virtuosity in both concept and execution.

On the third floor, inspired by the “primal, direct nature of wildlife,” Hackensack artist Bradley Haymes “presents wildlife in a neo-expressionist style to let the audience experience nature in a new light.”

Electric colors heighten the impact of his portraits of feral, wild, or extinct animals. Some even reveal portions of their skeletal structure, another means to rivet the viewer’s attention. An attorney with Morris County, Haymes mused, “Perhaps portraying wild beasts has also always been a way to acknowledge a range of instincts we largely subdue.”

The second floor provides yet another perspective, expressed in the works of Senegalese artist Ibou Ndoye, now of Jersey City.  Informed by the distinctive designs, fabrics and colors of African art and by the oral traditions of his native Senegal, Ibou tell stories of life through his art.

Ndoye’s works are inspired from the “unseen, neglected or discarded things from our social and daily life.”  Combining modernism and traditionalism, his striking and stylized imagery embraces universal understanding and does so through his dramatic paintings on paper, canvas and, in Senegalese tradition, on glass.

In this exhibit, each of the four artists reimagines “resilience” – focusing on what we need to truly “see” in the world around us, what is elemental to our lives, what gives us strength and what allows us to persist during difficult times. Their creativity is a gift to all who see their art.

Most of the artworks are available for sale, with details and pricing provided in the free catalogues available in the elevator lobby areas on floors 2-5 (after Feb. 10). The catalogue will be posted online at www.morrisarts.org, as well.

The Atrium Art Gallery is free and open to the public during business hours, 8:30 am-4:30pm. Masks and social distancing are required for all entering the building.  The exhibit remains in place until April 11, 2022.

Founded in 1973, Morris Arts is a nonprofit dedicated to building community through the arts. Using the arts to inspire, connect and engage, Morris Arts serves as a resource for Morris County with a special focus on arts programming in the community and in the schools, arts advocacy, and support of the Morris Area community of artists and arts organizations.

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