UNION — “Reflections — From Real to Surreal,” features Leona M. Seufert’s digital prints. It will be on exhibit June 2 to July 31 at The Les Malamut Art Gallery, which is downstairs in Union Public Library at 1980 Morris Ave. There will be a reception to meet the artist on June 10 from 6 to 8 p.m. The gallery is wheelchair accessible. For more information, call 908-851-5450.
Seufert is a digital artist who has used Photoshop to create unusual and unique visual worlds. This exhibit of 30 images combines two of her series, one of photographed reflections that were not altered by Photoshop that was on display at the Casano Community Center Art Gallery in 2013, and new images that use those photographs as a jumping-off point for creative manipulation.
The 15 images from the “Reflections — Is It Or Isn’t It Real” series captured exactly what her camera’s lens saw. They looked like they had been “Photoshopped,” but they weren’t. “Inspired by this serendipity, I then started to not only to look for these happenings, but to actually create them using only the camera’s viewfinder. Gallery exhibits netted a wide range of images, as the reflective glass and lights on the hung artwork played all kinds of tricks depending upon the viewing angle. Many of these photographs were ‘staged’ compositions resulting in spectacular eerie effects.”
For the exhibit at the Les Malamut Art Gallery, she let those 15 unmanipulated images inspire her creativity. Some were altered using Photoshop effects, others became part of an old-fashioned paper collage or digital collage, and in another she used markers to create new images on top of the inkjet printout. “I had two goals as I worked on this series: Have fun, and try to relate the second image to the first. Some make a statement on the original, others take it and distort it so that it becomes an abstraction, while others were created to elicit a laugh.”
Known for her digital photomontages, she has exhibited her artwork in numerous group and solo shows in galleries and museums in the New York City-metropolitan area and upstate New York. She also produces a line of jewelry called “Digital Gems.”
Seufert graduated from The High School of Art and Design in New York City and holds a Bachelor of Arts in theatre arts from the State University College of Arts and Science in Potsdam. Seufert also curates shows for the Casano Community Center Art Gallery in Roselle Park. To view her online gallery, visit http://studio-l.tripod.com/index.htm.
The Les Mallamut Art Gallery is open during library hours. For more information about the gallery visit LesMalamutArtGallery.wordpress.com. Artists interested in exhibiting work and individuals desiring to become board members or volunteering their services can contact Barbara Wirkus at [email protected] for more information.