At top left, the Arts Guild in Rahway. ••• Top right, artist Andrea Placer, with her work featured at the Meditations exhibit in Rahway. ••• Above, Gary Godbee with one of his works, featured on his website.
RAHWAY, NJ — Arts Guild of Rahway Director Lawrence Cappiello hosted the Meditations Exhibit opening on April 24. The exhibit will remain open to the public until May 19. “Meditations” refers to the clarity and precision of the works selected to be featured in this exhibit. Local artist Gary Godbee of Westfield is one of the artists whose works are on display. He uses brilliant color to offer viewers a glimpse of excitement.
In his piece titled “Rte 24 Overpass,” viewers feel as if they are staring at an actual highway. The shadows and details are so precise, the painting acts as a door into another dimension where the breeze can be felt blowing across the landscape and the cars can be heard racing along the road. The clarity of the piece is exceptional.
“The work chosen for this exhibit is extremely detailed and complex,” said Cappiello. “It’s a meditation on the nature of the subject. Some pieces are abstract, and they’re a representation of the subject.”
Andrea Placer, of Woodcliff Lake, created detailed works including “Preening,” “On Guard at the Library,” and “Navaholand” in graphite pencil. She also works in colored pencil. Placer takes her time to capture the details of the subjects in her work. For example, “Preening” illustrates each and every individual feather capturing the texture and details of her subject.
“I like to work with light, textures and mood,” said Placer. “I learned the two lions outside the New York Public Library are named Patience and Fortitude. Libraries were always one of my favorite places because it had to be quiet, at least when I was young.”
Another serene, reflective piece is called, “Quiet the Eye,” by Charles Yoder. The use of pastels and light help convey a sense of peace and calm to the viewer. The feeling the painter conveys to the audience most certainly captures more than just the subject itself. Yoder’s portrayal of nature provides the same comfort one would receive from being outside, without having to leave the house.
“I like to capture animals in the human world,” said Elana Goren.
In pieces such as “Dark Side of the Road” and “Typical Day at the Circus,” Goren uses dark etching to convey an intense mood to the audience. The expressions of the animals also allow for communication with the viewers. In “Recurring Dream,” an owl is perched in a dark bedroom.
Abstract artist Amy Cheng created beautifully detailed designs that resembled mandalas. The sacred geometry reflected in her art conveyed a meditative and reflective mood. Andrew Werth, another abstract artist, is able to create optical altering images as the viewer looks at his pieces in a new way from different locations. These fluid patterns mesmerize the audience from various angles.
All of the artists featured in the Meditations exhibit are from New York and New Jersey. They are very talented artists who use their creations to convey the intensity of their subjects. With such detail and precision, these artists are able to alter the way viewers see ordinary scenes in the world as well as geometric shapes and patterns.