Brian Keeler Reviews
Electric City/Diamond City Weekly- Scranton,PA
The Artists' Studio
By Alicia Grega-Pikul
From Electric City/Diamond City Weekly- Scranton,PA
A Gore-geous salute
Can you still access the imagination that once saw cuddly creatures in
summer's cumulus clouds? If the concern of environmentalists and Al Gore is
warranted, you may soon need it in order to imagine breathable air and a
world hospitable to humanity.
Inspired in part by the book and movie An Inconvenient Truth, painter Brian
Keeler has curated a group exhibit titled The Sky Above Us - The Air We
Breathe, which will open with a gala fundraiser on Friday from 5-11 p.m.
Proceeds from the $12 affair will benefit the Blue Heron Gallery as it
celebrates its fifth anniversary (www.blueheronart.org) in a restored building in downtown
Wyalusing.
The Sky Above Us will showcase approximately 75 paintings, photographs, and
collage works by 23 visual artists, including Tom Wise, Joanne Sonsire,
Susan Dawson-Scranton, Karl Neuroth, Paul Bracey, Alice Laputka, Marvin
Baker, and Jan Ward among others.
"It's sort of a semi-invitational in that I told people that I knew had work
that would be appropriate for it and so a lot of my artist friends
(submitted work)," said Keeler. "But it was on our Web site and we sent out
information, so it was open to anybody who wanted to send stuff in, which
turned out to be a pleasant surprise because we got some really nice work
from people I've never heard of before."
The exhibition is accompanied by a color catalog documenting selected works
from the show juxtaposed with poems by regional writers. Devorah Namm,
Barbara Tomaine, Megan Wolfe, Karen Blomain, David Elliott, and Richard
Aston are among the participating poets who will read their work Friday.
Keeler will also award five copies of Al Gore's book version of An
Inconvenient Truth at the event to artists whose contributions he deems
particularly exceptional as a casual sort of Juror's Award.
"The subtext of the exhibit is to draw attention to our air quality and with
a hopefully beneficial environmental impact just by increasing awareness air
and air quality," Keeler said. "The imagery will hopefully cause people to
reflect on climate change and global warming."
The gala further boasts a wine tasting with cheese and snacks, a Lindy Hop
dance lesson, and gypsy jazz in the tradition of Django Reinhardt performed
by the Eric Aceto Trio of Ithaca, N.Y.
"The Lindy Hop is the original swing dance from Harlem," Keeler informed. "The name comes from Charles Lindbergh, as it was popularized at that time
in 1927. But it's had a resurgence in recent years; it's become very popular
all over the world."
This latest exhibit is the third in a series sharing the "thematic group art
show accompanied by poetry and catalog" format that Keeler has presented at
the Blue Heron. The first was titled Watercourse, a fact that has inspired
the artist to assign an "earth" or "fire" theme to unify next year's
project.
The Sky Above Us will remain on display through Columbus Day weekend (Oct.
5-7) as part of the annual North Branch Arts Trail, which travels from
galleries in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre north along the Susquehanna River to
Wyalusing, stopping at galleries and studios along the way. This year's
event, Keeler informed, will see 28 venues participating. Following the
North Branch festivities, selected works from The Sky Above Us will be
displayed at the Laura Craig Gallery on Linden Street in Scranton from Oct.
18 to Nov. 23.
The Wyalusing-based painter put the image on canvas almost 20 years ago, but
until now, he has never shown the piece in Pennsylvania. The reason for
showing it now is a new exhibit titled Illumination - Fire, Light and Heat.
The third in a four-part series focused on the classical elements of nature,
the group show will open at The Blue Heron Gallery in Wyalusing on Friday,
Aug. 8 with a benefit reception that includes a poetry reading, live jazz
music and dancing as well as refreshments. It features work by 19 painters
and 10 poets and is accompanied by a full-color catalogue available by
purchase for $15.
A member of the board of the Wyalusing Community Corporation responsible for
restoring the historic building that houses the gallery, Keeler is also the
curator of the exhibition. His painting is one of several that interpreted
the less blatant manifestations of fire.
"There is one painting is of an internal combustion engine. It's quite
unique in its unpicturesque quality," he said. "It's just an engine removed
and sitting in a black background, kind of vignetted."
The intrigue in doing a thematic show of this sort, said Keeler, lies in the
artists' differing interpretations. While some contributed work completed
years ago, others were compelled to create new work specifically for the
exhibit. Keeler pointed to Tom Wise as one example.
"It used to be that he gave me assignments; now I'm giving him an assignment
and he really took it and ran with it," Keeler said. "He did these beautiful
paintings of a girl with a candle."
Many of artists and poets - all from either New York or Pennsylvania - have
submitted multiple works. In addition to paintings, the exhibit includes
photography and sculptures.
The first exhibit in the series was a tribute to the Susquehanna River and
its tributaries. It was followed last year by an exhibit inspired by Al
Gore's An Inconvenient Truth titled The Sky Above Us. The shows have been
well-received, but Keeler said he may insert a show of paintings created on
his annual trips to Italy into the Blue Heron's next summer slot.
"There's no rush. Earth will be an easy one to do because it encompasses
landscape and most people have landscapes in their repertoire, where as
something like fire and air were a little more difficult to get," he said.
Illumination: Fire, Light and Heat will remain on display through the North
Branch Arts Festival, closing Oct. 12. A selection of the work will then
move to Laura Craig Gallery in Scranton. Admission to the Friday, Aug. 8
reception is $10 and includes food, a wine tasting by Hidden Creek Winery,
poetry reading at 6:30 p.m., a Lindy Hop lesson at 7, and jazz/swing music
by Bill Washer Jazz Trio at 8.
Call 746-4922 or go online to www.blueheronart.org for more information
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