(RED BANK, NJ) -- In an exciting first, The Oyster Point Gallery will present four exhibitions in its gallery spaces. Joseph Iorio's inaugural solo exhibition, "Structural Abstractions," will be on the first floor. Zee Cordero's Pop paintings will be on the second floor. Jane Kleiman's sculptural ceramics and Mark Harari's luminescent transparencies will be shown in the Atrium.
There will be an Opening Reception for the exhibits on Friday, May 3, 2024, from 6:00pm - 8:00pm. The exhibits are free and open to the public. Everyone is invited. The Oyster Point Gallery is located at 146 Bodman Place, Red Bank, New Jersey.
Joseph Iorio: Structural Abstractions (April 30 through July 1, 2024). Iorio is not afraid of heights. He’s an ironworker whose daytime haunts are the bridges and skyscrapers of New York City. Back home in New Jersey, Joe is an artist. He paints abstract works that radiate the city’s chaotic energy. Intricate patterns mimic the complexity of lines and forms he sees from his high perches. What you might not expect is the bold color.
Joseph Iorio, Coral Chips II - Oil canvas 48” x 24” (2023)
Joseph’s work reflects the intersection of industry and art. His unique blend of techniques and materials creates visually striking and conceptually layered paintings.
Mr. Iorio (b. 1976, Teaneck, NJ) lives and paints in Fair Haven, NJ. He received his BA in English Literature from Lafayette College (1998) and his MFA in Fine Arts from the School of Visual Arts (2003). He has exhibited his work at the School of Visual Arts, New York, NY, and at the Grossman Gallery at Lafayette College, Easton, PA. Iorio also received a Joan Mitchell MFA grant nomination in 2003.
Jim Toia was Joseph’s first art mentor. Joseph took his first painting class with Jim during his senior year at Lafayette College in 1997. “Jim gave me the encouragement and confidence to paint and to pursue painting. He encouraged me to get my MFA and continue painting beyond school. I am truly grateful to Jim for helping me find this within myself. Jim is a wonderful artist and an amazing teacher”, says Joseph.
“Structural Abstractions” is Joseph’s first solo exhibition. “It’s deeply satisfying to nurture an artist and give them a platform at the beginning of their art careers,” said Ellen Martin, The Oyster Point Hotel’s curator.
Deco PopZ NOW! (April 30 through July 1, 2024). The work of Zee Cordero aka Deco PopZ is a vibrant fusion of influences drawn from iconic Pop artists of the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Inspired by the groundbreaking contributions of figures like Picasso, Warhol, Haring, and Lichtenstein, he aims to capture the essence of their bold, expressive styles in his work. Embracing the vivid colors, dynamic compositions, and societal commentary prevalent in their works, Zee strives to reinterpret and modernize these influences through his artistic lens.
Zee Cordero, I'm All Yours - Spray Paint on Canvas 24 x 24 (2024)
Zee’s passion extends to the energetic world of graffiti and street art, particularly rooted in the bustling streets of New York City. Immersed in the raw creativity and cultural resonance of this urban art form, he incorporates elements of graffiti’s spontaneity and street art’s narrative into his pieces. The dynamic interplay between classic Pop aesthetics and the raw energy of New York’s streets serves as a foundation for his artistic exploration.
Zee was born in Brooklyn. He lives in Branchburg, NJ. He has been published in Soup Can Magazine. He was named a Top 40 Artist to watch for in 2024 by The Culture Candy curation group. He has appeared in numerous group exhibitions in New York City, New Jersey, and even Philadelphia.
They include One Art Space (TriBeCa), Van Der Plas (Lower East Side), two shows at the East Village Art Collective (East Village), Good Karma Gallery (New Mexico), two shows with HeART Attack Art show (Jersey City), and Art on the NASDQ in Time Square (NY Empire Arts).
Other exhibitions include The Gallery at Chelsea Market (Chelsea NY); Crown of Creation (Philadelphia PA); three shows at the Brooklyn Art Cave (Bushwick, Brooklyn); BitCoin Center (Upper West Side, NY); and Mothership Gallery (Philadelphia PA). He was also the twice-featured artist at the Arte Agave Tequila & Mezcal Festival (Bowery NY).
Mark Harari: Luminosities - Painting Without Walls (May 3 through July 1, 2024). When Mr. Harari was an architect in New York and New Jersey from 1983 – 2003, he wasn’t thinking about a fine art practice. Until he was. When he turned to create fine art, he explored painting, drawing, printmaking, and photography. In 2009, after initial hesitations about digital photography, he jumped in and found more than expected. “The digital revolution intimidated me at first. I intended to use the camera to support my pursuit of painting, to aid my understanding of color as a painter rather than an architect. The act of photographing, again, opened me to the magic power of place and the fleeting mysteries of the moment. The camera is a wonderful tool to heighten perception and awareness – the act of focus. City, street, timeless ruin, sunlit stream, fleeting, momentary shadows, and reflections are all there for me,” said Mark.
Artwork by Mark Harari
In 2012, he started painting and drawing on translucent and transparent substrates to explore how the images could interact with their surroundings.
He then experimented with printing digital images on wood veneer, various papers, metal, and translucent and transparent films and panels.
He learned that the original’s personality could be explored through these various surfaces. The digital path offered additional options for image making.
The Inkjet Mylar prints mounted at the atrium glass windows at The Oyster Point Hotel have been developed to provide a high degree of transparency while allowing the personality of the images to respond to the ever-changing natural and interior lighting conditions on any given day. As with glass windows, day and night alter the image, the view through the atrium glass, and the degree of view or reflection. The time of day and sky conditions likewise influence the images. “A certain serendipity extends my predilection for abstract image-making. I have found that painting and drawing can become part of a process, not only an end in themselves. Placing the painted or drawn image on the glass frees the image and the viewer from the expected relationship of a work mounted and framed on a wall,” said Mr. Harari.
“The idea of “Painting Without Walls” emerged from the opportunity to mount these images at The Oyster Point Hotel. It has been an exciting exploration for me.,” added Mr. Harari.
Jane Kleiman's sculptural ceramics - Jane has been working with clay since 1998. In addition to traditional, functional ware, she works with alternative firing techniques, such as Raku, pit fire, and Saggar Fire. All pieces are one-of-a-kind, often hand-built or thrown and/or altered. Because alternative firing techniques are low fired, the clay remains porous and fragile, therefore non-functional for food or liquid.
Jane Kleiman, Ursula - Porcelain (2021)
Jane received her B.F.A. in photography from the Mason Gross School of the Arts in New Brunswick in 1986. She began her education in Ceramics at The Northern Westchester Center for the Arts and has continued exploring clay through classes and workshops.
Jane Kleiman is also a Yoga Instructor and Holy Fire Reiki Master. “Working with the body for many years has inspired me to explore the expressive, sensual, and sensory nature of form, and the idea that we are all containers…for flesh, blood, and bone, thought and emotion, energy or life force, awareness, and bliss. How do our containers reflect and hold what they contain? When inside and outside are aligned, and when they are not…what does that look like? What is visible on the surface, and what hides beneath?”
The Oyster Point Gallery is located at 146 Bodman Place, Red Bank, New Jersey. Gallery exhibitions, originally conceived by President Kevin Barry, and currently curated by Ellen Martin, provide a prestigious and viable alternative gallery venue to artists from New Jersey and nearby locations.
Both emerging and established artists, many of whom are award-winning, have been included in the exhibitions that are shown in the public spaces of the first two floors of the Hotel.
The work is primarily two-dimensional and encompasses painting, photography, wall-mounted sculpture, collage, and collaborative work. The Gallery is an asset both to our community and guests of the Hotel.
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