Robert Birmelin, “Penn Station, Lower Level- with Prodigal Forgiven,” 2008. Courtesy of the artist.
The Syracuse University Art Galleries will present “Poetry of Content: Five Contemporary Representational Artists,” co-curated by David L. Prince, associate director/curator at the SUArt Galleries, and internationally recognized artist and Syracuse University Professor Jerome Witkin. Featuring over 40 pieces of original artwork including paintings, drawings and prints, this exhibition displays a variety of imagery examining the work of renowned representational artists Bill Murphy, Gilliam Pederson-Krag, Joel Sheesley, Robert Birmelin and Tim Lowly.
The exhibition opens on Dec. 17 and will run through March 20, 2016, in the Shaffer Art Building. Gallery hours are Tuesday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; and Thursdays 11 a.m.-8 p.m. The SUArt Galleries will host a free opening night reception from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 21. Patrons are welcome to view the exhibition until the gallery closes at 8 p.m. The reception is open to the public.
In the landscape of contemporary practice, imagery that incorporates a realistic visual space, modeled figures and natural surroundings is largely absent from the lexicon of art making. Over his more than 40 years as a painter and professor at the University, Witkin has championed representation and narrative in his work and his teaching. “Poetry of Content” is his examination and celebration of the work of five painters who share his interest in the subject.
“The Syracuse University Art Galleries invited me to create an exhibition of living artists important to me,” explains Witkin. “Flattered and excited, I spent the afternoon in deep thought and questions: which painters was I always rooting for, whose catalogs did I keep and show to my classes, whose exhibitions did I attend and whose phone calls made my day, since the conversations proved most agreeable and moving. The five artists I chose are painters of depth, in a time where the ‘celebrities’ of art frequently prove to be only shallow and brand driven.”
A fully illustrated catalog will be available at the SUArt Gallery shop. After the presentation in Syracuse, the exhibition will travel to the Kalamazoo Institute of Art, in Kalamazoo, Mich., from Nov. 5, 2016-Feb. 19, 2017. Select programming associated with the exhibition includes a special preview tour/Lunchtime Lecture with Prince, on Wednesday, Dec. 16, at 12:15 p.m. The exhibition and programs are free and open to the public. Complete information and related programming is available by visiting the website at http://suart.syr.edu/.
