Arts Guild New Jersey Presents Yesterday’s News – Open until Dec 18
Official Press Release:
Arts Guild New Jersey is pleased to present “Yesterday’s News, curated by Douglas Ferrari. The exhibition runs through December 18, 2014 at Arts Guild New Jersey, 1670 Irving Street, Rahway, NJ 07065. Gallery Hours are Mon-Thurs 10am-3pm, Fri: 10am to 1pm, Sat & Sun: 1-4pm or by appointment for groups of 10 or more. The exhibition is wheelchair accessible.
The use of newspaper in art-making may be considered yesterday’s news because, although many artists use newspaper as a source for material, design, or inspiration, it is not a new idea and has been a prevalent element in art for over 100 years. For example, the Synthetic Cubists (Picasso, Braque, and Gris) used text from newspaper in their collages as early as 1908. In most cases the printed fragments where incorporated into their collages as design elements. In the 1910’s Dada artists (primarily Kurt Schwitters) and many Futurists (Boccioni, Severini, Carre, and especially Marinetti) used the printed images from newspapers as design elements. Since then many artists (such as Man Ray, Joseph Cornell, and Claes Oldenberg) have utilized printed newspaper in their artworks, and in 1952 Jasper Johns began using Newspaper as a surface on which to apply his encaustic medium, usually allowing the print to be visible beneath the translucent layers.
Today we find ourselves overrun with trash – unwanted, unused, and often unseen objects. Conservation and recycling have become cultural buzzwords. In recent years, many artists have been embracing this abundance of refuse and are repurposing these found objects in their art.
Newspapers are currently consuming 95 million trees each year and, despite recycling efforts, are rapidly filling our landfills. Surprisingly, between 2008 and 2009 revenue in the newspaper industry dropped an astonishing 27%. Partially due to the increase in digital media, this drop in revenue and circulation suggests that newspapers may soon be a thing of the past. The news industry may soon be considered “Yesterday’s News”.
When you look at the overwhelming amount of unused newspapers it is not surprising that, in recent times, many artists have taken up the mantel of recycling “Yesterday’s News” in their work. Although newspaper as art medium is not breaking news, the manner in which this collection of artists uses it is definitely unique, different, and newsworthy. Some use it as a design element, some as a structural component, some as a source of inspiration, and some sublimate this printed trash into objects of beauty. However you view it, these artists will convince you that there is something to be said about “Yesterday’s News”.
The artists who are participating in this exhibition are Fanny Allié, Aileen Bassis, Riccardo Berlingeri, Richard Buntzen, Kelly Clark, Chris Pelletiere, and Geoffrey Stein.
For more information about this program and exhibit opportunities at Arts Guild New Jersey visit our website and join our mailing list or contact us at: info@agnj.org or by phone at (732) 381-7511.
About Arts Guild New Jersey:
Arts Guild New Jersey is a non-profit center for the arts located at 1670 Irving St. at Seminary Avenue in the Downtown Arts District of the City of Rahway.
Arts Guild New Jersey presents a yearly program of fine art exhibitions as well as three semesters of multi-week art classes for adults, teens and children, one-day workshops for adults, summer art workshops for kids and teens, and a variety of secondary art and cultural events, such as lectures and seminars.
The Art exhibits at the Guild focus primarily on the presentation of works by notable emerging New Jersey artists. We feature a wide range of mediums (painting, prints, photography, mixed media collage, construction/assemblage, sculpture, etc.) and a broad range of styles from photo realism to complete abstractions. Our exhibits aim to present an overview of current or enduring trends and directions in the contemporary art of New Jersey’s arts community.
It is the mission of Arts Guild New Jersey to present high level arts programs for the benefit of residents in Central and Northern New Jersey. We promote a broad range of the arts and the value of the arts for all people. Since 1999, the Guild has provided an increasing range of art events, activities and programs for a multi-county audience.
Address: 1670 Irving Street, Rahway, NJ 07065
Contact: (732) 381-7511 or info @agnj.org
Website: www.agnj.org
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