GO FIGURE
WHEN: Sunday, November 6 to Friday, December 30, free Opening Reception on November 6 from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.; Tuesday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Sunday from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
WHERE: Pine Gallery of the Maurice M. Pine Free Public Library, 10-01 Fair Lawn Avenue, Fair Lawn
ADMISSION: free
For further information about the exhibition and the reception, contact Emiliana Tuohey at 201-796-3400 ext. 16 or emtuohey@live.com.
Hackensack artist Ruth Bauer Neustadter returns for a second time to present a new exhibition, Go Figure. The exhibition will feature expressionistic, bold, highly textured and sensual figurative work, many created from recyclable materials, over the last 15 years. The artist will be available throughout the opening reception to discuss the work and answer questions.
Holocaust Survivors Remembered
In the exhibition, Bauer Neustadter remembered those who survived the Holocaust. Several members of her family escaped. "My parents, grandparents and other relatives escaped, but many did not. My sister, brother, and I are first generation Holocaust survivors. I wanted to continue to remember them, and I also painted many of these family members' families, " she said. (Top: Sisters Ruth and Miriam by Ruth Bauer Neustadter)
In one piece, Where Have All the Children Gone?, Bauer Neustadter paid tribute to those who died young. "Thousands of children were lost in the Holocaust and certainly, in continuing wars we are living through today. The thought of this pains me. My small painting, small like the children it represents, is something that grew unconsciously out of me. Where Have All the Children Gone? is a painting of a child in an unmarked grave. Flowers are attempting to grow out of a brick wall. The moon shines and glass, nails, stones are strewn around this nameless human being. At the very bottom of the piece, is a small heart representing perhaps hope and love and possibly peace for the future," said Bauer Neustadter.
She drew upon her career and experiences as a dancer to capture other figures shown in the exhibition. "I love painting the figure and portraits. This is probably because I spent a significant part of my life working as a modern dancer. Working with the human figure, often on multiple canvases, breaks up and distorts the shape, creating unexpected negative spaces to engage fully the viewer's imagination. The figures are reminiscent of my exposure and involvement in a three dimensional space, as a dance translated into a two dimensional format," she said. (Above: Out of Harm's Way)
When not painting figures, this environmentally conscious artist can be seen on her daily walk picking up recyclable materials, such as rusted bottle caps, bolts, nuts, rusty pipes, and loose railroad spikes to integrate into new art pieces. Her work has been exhibited extensively at several museums, including the Montclair Museum, Hunterdon Museum, Jersey City Museum, Newark Museum, Belskie Museum of Arts & Science, and Bergen Museum of Art and Science. Among the galleries that have featured her work is the George Segal Gallery at Montclair State University in Montclair, New Jersey, the Piermont Fine Arts Gallery in Piermont, New York, and the Ceres Gallery in Chelsea, New York. Collectors from Sweden, Italy, Canada, and the United States have purchased her work.
Bauer Neustadter studied with luminary fine arts teachers Nicki Orbach, Michael Dillon, and Joe Terrone. She received a bachelor of arts in dance from Bennington College; pursued a career in dance working and studying with prominent choreographers Charles Weidman, Claire Porter, Alvin Ailey and Martha Graham; and founded the Ruth Bauer Draper Dance Company. An active member of the arts community, she serves on the boards of directors of the Center for Modern Dance Education, Hackensack Cultural Arts Board, and Salute to Women in Arts.
Her work may be viewed online at www.ruthbauerneustadter.com.
