The exhibition In Real Life, on view now at Noyes Museum of Art in Hammonton, New Jersey, features artwork by Mark Allen Natale, Michael Schweigart, Nick Savides and Ted Walsh, who all paint in a realistic style. “The work of all four artists brilliantly showcases the technical expertise of realism by taking scenes from real life that others may overlook and presenting them as a work of art,” says Michael Cagno, the museum’s executive director.
Michael Schweigart, In-Between, acrylic on paper, 7¾ x 8¼"
Among Walsh’s paintings for the show is a set of three watercolors including Green Roof Top. Describing the work, the artist says, “I stayed in the house with the green roof during a painting trip to the Brandywine Valley. The house is on the side of a hill so, heading toward the back of the house from above, the roof is at eye level. One day the sunlight on the green struck my eye. Aside from the roof, the palette is quite limited. I often use straightforward shapes like the roof angles and bits of shadow cast by the chimneys to anchor my compositions.”
Ted Walsh, Green Roof Top (set of three), watercolor on paper, 11 x 15"
On view from Natale will be close-ups of two old road signs in the paintings Square Deal Farm and White Horse Farm. “These two paintings represent my current body of work, which is focused on old signage and how their context relates to contemporary society,” he says. “I use a tight composition to create detailed oil paintings that depict vintage signs as the focal point in a landscape. The resulting image becomes an icon, much like the trademark of a Hollywood film studio that is seen at the beginning of a movie. I choose specific signs to not only document their endangered existence, but to have the viewer reconsider the meaning of the original text as it relates to present day. Within these sign paintings, I also explore themes such as light, time and solitude. The lack of human figures in these paintings help to maintain a strong relationship between the subject and viewer while giving the image a lofty, timeless feel.”
Nick Savides, On Howard Street, oil on linen, 16 x 24"
Mark Allen Natale, Square Deal Farm, oil, 30 x 30"
On Howard Street was painted by Savides during the pandemic. “The setting is Howard Street in SoHo, NYC, during the lockdown, when very few people were out in the streets,” Savides elaborates. “The storefront window displays are juxtaposed with the street scene and the reflections in the windows. The mannequins seem to look on as a man walks past them.”
Schweigart’s In-Between is a familiar painting subject for the artist. “I’m often attracted to weathered structures for their simplicity and sense of timelessness like this one on Monhegan Island, Maine. This scene captures a particular character and lifestyle experienced on the island.”
In Real Life will be on view through September 3.
Noyes Museum of Art Kramer Hall at Stockton University
30 Front Street • Hammonton, NJ 08037
(609) 626-3840 • www.noyesmuseum.org
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