(HAWTHORNE, NJ) -- On Thursday, May 5th, from 5:30pm – 8:30pm, the County of Passaic is hosting an opening reception for "Skyline" by Jessie Bloom, of Hawthorne, and “A Convocation of Color,” by Ed Whitmore, a Passaic County native and California based artist. “Skyline” will be on view from Saturday, April 30th through July 3rd. While “A Convocation of Color” will run from April 30th through August 23rd.
"Skyline" draws on atmosphere, landscape, light, and color as the inspiration for her woven paintings. In her work, luminous dimension is created by layering yarns that merge and blend with hand painted fields of color. These woven panels are built yarn by yarn on a vintage floor loom built in 1977.
“My work is created at the intersection of fine art and contemporary woven craft,” said Bloom. “They draw on histories of pointillism, atmospheric landscape, color field painting and textile art. The tactile surface becomes the focus as colors cross and blend.”
In the final product, the viewer blends individual colors from a distance, but up close the yarns give up their detail and offer a different experience of the piece.
“A Convocation of Color” showcases metal effects paints such as bronze, copper, and iron. These metals change color as they oxidize, creating subtle shades of blue, brown, and green.
“The accumulation of paint evokes the passage of time,” said Whitmore. “To give my pieces an authentic feeling of the past, I often incorporate vintage objects for my canvass, such as letterpress trays, which hearken back to abandoned technology when lead type was set by hand.”
Whitmore’s process is often spontaneous, which allows the imagery to evolve naturally. This ensures that his subject matter will be fluid and unique each time. This method serves to draw the viewer into the painting and invites them to assign personal meaning and universal context.
The Passaic County Arts Center at the John W. Rea House opened in June 2019 and is open year-round Wednesday – Sunday 11:00am – 5:00pm. Entrance to the Arts Center and galleries is free. Those interested in showcasing their works can submit proposals on a rolling basis. For more information, please visit pcartscenter.org.
