The Witching Hour, including thirty three artists from the UK, Germany, Canada & the USA is the largest exhibit yet by curator Jon Gernon, who has been putting shows together in Troy for decades. The move to include a more international group of artists has born an eclectic mix of artists (full disclosure, my work is in this exhibit) Gernon is partial to realism although he has expanded to show abstract artists in the past as he does here.
Farrah, Jeff Wigman, 10x13” oil on canvas
Jeff Wigman, a local surrealist working in oils, has three paintings showing here. A whimsical and moody painter, here he confines himself to a darker more monochromatic palette in keeping with the theme.
We Are Stardust, Leslie Yolen, 18x24” encaustic & mixed media
My friend, who was raised Amish on a farm, was attracted to this work in particular, assembled as it is from natural elements including sand, wax, seeds and starlike seed pods. I think as we progress toward a more ecologically sustainable way of doing things, work assembled using these more natural materials will gain in importance.
Robert Gullie, Orpheus & Euridice, 12x12” collage on panel
Another accomplished local light with deep roots in the area, Bob Gullie, provides moody and eloquent contributions in two works which I remembered as larger than they were containing as they do warm and richly evocative spaces and imagery.
Elaine Langerman, Alice Converses with the Snake, 8.5x8.7” layered painted computer collage
I was drawn to the complexity of this sweet little piece with a sculpturally layered presentation and nostalgic tint.
Keri Dudeck, Nasturtiam, 8x10” watercolor on paper
This small work in an autumnal palette caught my eye, utilizing as it does a rorschach approach to composition.
Steve Rein, Mood Room, 15x11.5” enamel on reclaimed canvas
There are many other expert, bizarre and fantasy laden artworks here, including a large coffin (!) on the gallery floor, however the studio beckons so I will close with an artist that in some ways personifies a feeling of age & strangeness that epitomizes the Troy aesthetic.
This report, of time and necessity is a very abbreviated notation on this large and inclusive assortment of artists, Gernon says this is the largest show he has ever assembled and so it is well worth the time to go and see. It is up until November 21, 2021
Clement Gallery in downtown Troy. Their phone number is 518-272-6811.