A Love Affair With Colors
I am pleased to announce my solo art exhibit at CornerStone Art Gallery in Whiting, Indiana, October to November 16th. The reception is on Friday evening, October 12, 6-9PM. CornerStone Art Gallery is located in the Centier Bank Building, 1500 119th Street, Whiting, Indiana, 46394.
A Love Affair With Colors is the theme of the exhibit. I use color as a driving force to create art that is recognizable to the viewer, yet abstracted from a literal representation. My art explores the interplay between abstraction and realism across genres such as figurative art, still life and cityscape paintings. For example, my painting of Botany Pond, on the University of Chicago campus, presents a Chicago scene in a way that is representational without being photorealistic. The exhibit will include both oil paintings and photographs.
Botany Pond
Botany Pond received first prize at the South Side Impressions exhibit, at the Beverly Art Center, Chicago. Another of my paintings on display, Still Life With Mannequin Hand, won Best of Show at a previous CornerStone Gallery exhibit.
Digital Art: Chicago, City of Bridges & Digital Gothic, UChicago
My photographs, in the form of digital art, explore the interplay of representational photography with digital transformations that present a more abstract view. Two series are included:
Digital Gothic: Scenes from the University of Chicago campus, featuring details from its Gothic Revival architecture. These artworks were also featured in the “Art Takes Times Square” exhibit. Blue Flowers At Botany Pond was selected by the editorial committee for an art book, Art Takes Times Square 2012.
Blue Flowers At Botany Pond
Chicago, City of Bridges. Many bridges were built along the Calumet River since its development in the 1860s. The Calumet harbor continues to be this region’s busiest port. The Chicago Skyway Bridge was built to be a shortcut from State Street in Chicago to the steel mills on the Southeast border with Indiana. I see the notion of transformation as being true of this region on a symbolic level as well being my artistic media. The vibrant colors in my photos represent the vital role this industrial hub played in developing the Calumet region, for example, Infrastructure Madness.
Abstract Art
My abstract and non-objective art is also on display. An abstract series of paintings, Organic Creatures, combines a feeling of whimsy with a sense of bizarre absurdity. I love to combine painting with travel. I especially enjoyed spending several months in Barra de Navidad, Mexico, which is a small fishing village on the gulf coast. While there I painted Mexican Roadtrip using the sun-drenched pallette of the tropics.
Reception Entertainment: John Sarantos, Flutist
The reception is honored to have nationally recognized flutist, John Sarantos, performing. One of the World’s pre-eminent Native American flute instructors, John Sarantos has facilitated Native American flute workshops from coast-to-coast for over 15 years. He was the first to receive the prestigious Naja Award from R. Carlos Nakai for his work in promoting the Renaissance of the Native American Flute. John has performed live in venues large and small; including New York City’s Carnegie Hall. (P.S. He’s also my brother, thanks for offering to entertain us John!)
CornerStone Art Center And Gallery
The exhibit is on display from October 4 to November 16th at CornerStone Art Center and Gallery, which is located in the Centier Bank Building, 1500 119th Street, Whiting, Indiana, 46394. The reception is on Friday, October 12, 6 to 9 PM. Cornerstone Art Center & Gallery is located 30 minutes outside of Chicago in NW Indiana in the Historic Downtown District of Whiting, Indiana. The center is organized by the 119th Street Artists, a non-profit group that seeks to bring an appreciation of the fine arts to people in all walks of life and to provide support and encouragement to Midwestern artists.
Also On Display: Fairy Tales Exhibit, Whiting ArtWalk, Studio 659
Artwork by B.S. Farris: Fairy Tales
Fairy Tales is in the side gallery at CornerStone. The Fairy Tales exhibit will feature ink on paper – positive and negative space. An award winning artist from Indiana who has shown locally, B.S Farris holds a Bachelor of Art Degree and a minor in Art History from Indiana University and holds a Master of Art Degree from Governors State University. She is the gallery coordinator and a board member at CornerStone Gallery.
Opening at Studio 659: Monsters And Graveyards
Monsters And Graveyards. Studio 659 also has an opening on Friday, October 12: “Monsters And Graveyards,” reflecting on the Halloween theme. Reception: 7-9PM. Located 30 minutes outside of Chicago in the Historic Downtown District of Whiting at 1413 119th Street in Northwest Indiana.
Whiting Arts Walk
With the help of our friends in Arts Alive!, we have arranged to have artwork featured in the storefronts of local businesses along the way between these two locations. This will include a gallery exhibit at Full Circle Art & Framing, curated by owner and artist, Kathy Winsberg. Full Circle Art is at 1405 – 119th St., Whiting, Indiana.
If you want to expand your art tour to include Hammond, Indiana, visit:
Eugene Mitchell: Artist of Joy And Celebration, Blue Room Cafe
Paul Henry’s Art Gallery is hosting an artist’s reception for Calumet City, IL artist Eugene Mitchell on Friday, October 12th, 4PM til 9PM at The Blue Room Cafe, 5246 Hohman, Hammond, Indiana. In this installation Mr. Mitchell will exhibit both his conceptual/ expressionist pieces and comic/caricature work in a variety of mediums. He will have copies of his latest comic series in “zine” form at the reception. Please call Paul Henry’s Art Gallery for further information, 219-678-5015.
About Leon Sarantos
Links
My digital art cityscapes are also in two other exhibits this month:
About Studio 659. Studio 659 is an Art Studio in the heart of the historic downtown district of Whiting, Indiana. Located only 20 minutes from Chicago on the shores of Lake Michigan, Studio 659 is not only an art gallery but a studio which offers classes to youth and adults as well as puts on live music events, book signings and more.The Studio is headed by the Whiting Arts Council which was a brainchild of Mayor Joe Stahura. The Council is made up of representatives from all of Whiting’s artistic organizations including: Whiting Lakefront Symphony, Marian Theatre Guild, Arts Alive!, 119th St. Artists, Calumet College, Whiting High School’s Art Department as well as at-large members of the community who have art backgrounds.