New Art Exhibit Opens Dec. 6 at Pine Hills
Albany Public Library and Opalka Gallery celebrate the latest Art at APL exhibition, “Repeat Play: The Art of Pattern,” with an opening reception on Friday, Dec. 6, at 6 pm at the Pine Hills Branch library.
The Dec. 6 reception is hosted by the Friends and Foundation of APL, and also features the RK Jazz and Blues, an all-female jazz trio, and light fare. The art opening is free and open to the public.
“Repeat Play” brings together nine artists who use repetitive shapes, marks, and colors to create systems and interrelationships to dazzle the eyes. What you might not see at first glance are the various reasons and ways these artists create patterns. Some of these designs are the visual translation of regular and repeated actions, obsessive observations of the everyday world. Other works refer to historical designs, exhumed for a contemporary perspective. Whether created digitally, leveraging letterforms into webs of patterned curves, or through carefully collaging found fabric, printmaking, oil, or watercolor materials, these artists bring to mind all the patterns we see in our daily lives, reminding us that the inventive mind of an artist is behind many of them.
The exhibition features these artists:
- Ali Herrmann creates playful relationships in her work, using collage material sourced from her own monotypes.
- Tara Fracalossi captures color patterns using photography, that are then obsessively organized and repeated to create dense patterns.
- Richard Garrison uses systems of recording domesticity that are translated into mark and color.
- Willie Marlowe embeds poetic text in crossword puzzles designs.
- Jean-Marc Superville Sovak creates preparatory drawings for his “Freeborn Trails” series: brick pattern designs the artist installs in site-specific landscapes, based on legendary patterns used to communicate in code the movements of the Underground Railroad.
- Sara Tack uses her skill with letterforms as a graphic designer to create mesmerizing patterned work using digital media.
- Stephen Tyson paints large oil paintings with robust hard edge designs.
- Michael Van Winkle paints figures in acrylic, usually in pairs, that interact with curious expressions, embedded with patterns much akin to court jesters.
- Deborah Zlotsky utilizes vintage Vera Neumann scarves to construct emblematic flag tapestries.
Art at APL is a curated fine arts exhibition program at the Pine Hills Branch showcasing the work of contemporary artists connected to the Capital Region and beyond. The program, which began in 2013, integrates professional artwork into public spaces within the library, enriches the library experience, and gives visitors something interesting and educational to look at while they browse the collections. “Repeat Play” marks the ninth installment of Art at APL curated by Opalka Gallery. The exhibition program is funded by an Arts Center Grant and by the Friends and Foundation of Albany Public Library.
Stephanie Simon
Stephanie Simon is manager of APL's Communication and Creative Services Department, which provides content and information for the library's website, social media, publications, videos, podcasts, and other outlets. Stephanie also manages APL's public relations and marketing efforts.