ROUTE 22 heART OF THE ALLEGHENIES ART & CULTURE DRIVING TOUR

Several Artists' work have been selected from the Route 22 heART of the Alleghenies Art & Culture Driving Tour to be exhibited at the Brownstone Fine Art Gallery. Until September 2009, the Brownstone Fine Art Gallery will act as a "Market Place" for the Route 22 Artisans Trail. As a juried member of the group of artists myself, I felt compelled to offer my gallery as a marketplace.

Because my work is known nationally and internationally, I have had the privilege and opportunity to work with many curators and gallery proprietors. Through this twenty year experience of being both artist and director of my own gallery, I understand the needs of the artist and the necessity of a high-end marketplace ie. a fine art gallery.

The Brownstone Art Gallery was designed to provide a state-of-the-art visual environment while lending itself to the opportunity for exhibiting and promoting not only my work, but national and emerging artist's work as well. Because of the intimacy of the gallery and prescheduled exhibitions, the selected artists' work will be on display until September 2009.

With the collaboration of the Route 22 heART of the Alleghenies Art & Culture Driving Tour, it is my intent to make this summer's exhibition a visually enticing destination.

"LYNN BANEY: THE WORKINGS OF AN EXPRESSIONIST MIND"

Lynn Baney's abstract art has been the subject of solo exhibitions throughout the United States. But never in this area - until now.
The Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art at Altoona has opened its latest exhibition, "Lynn Baney: The Workings of an Expressionst Mind," celebrating 26 pieces of the Roaring Spring artist's work. The exhibition is on view May 22 through September 5. It represents the first time Baney's art has been the focal point of a SAMA at Altoona exhibit.
"She's due," said Barbara Hollander, suite coordinator at SAMA at Altoona. "She's been an internationally award-winning artist, painter and illustrator who's talked all over the world. She's nationally known - everywhere except her hometown."
Baney's work is known for employing a bold color palette and for encompassing a broad scope of political, social and environmental issues, Hollander said, adding her work has been featured on the cover of multiple art supply catalogs, as well as other publications.
"Lynn Baney and her art are both strong, powerful, contemplative and lovely," she said. "She has a wonderful talent for transferring her vivacious personality to the canvas with a deceptively simplistic approach. ...Her paintings reach down deep inside her consciousness, bringing to light a voice we are happy to hear."
And Baney, a self-described abstract expressionist-geometric painter, would agree with those sentiments. As an artist she strives to create works that exude optimism and positivity.
"Many artists like to be very foreboding with their work, but I don't like to paint from a dark point of view," she said. "Even though the world has its ugly side, I try and look at things from a bright perspective...using bright blues and purples."
The exhibit is comprised mostely of acrylic and water color paintings, Baney said, adding the works "are very clean and have a purity about them."
"I use a lot of paints right out of the tube...I don't do a lot of mixing on palette," she said. "When you look at these (paintings), there's no mud. I always enjoy adding a geometric component to my works - they're inner laid and overlayed...kind of undulating dimensions."
Kathleen Niedermayer of Altoona has known Baney for more than 25 years and worked as her assistant when Baney first opened Brownstone Fine Art Gallery, now in Roaring Spring, more than 16 years ago. She's eleated to finally see her friend's work showcased in Altoona.
"She's evolved into an artist of merit," Niedermayer, an agency manager at Baltimore Life Companies in Duncansville, said. "She has a zest for life, and she's always been able to look beyong the obvious. I've followed her career, and I've seen that she's a person of perception - she has great color perception."
"She's taken those perceptions and really mastered the art of expressing herself abstractually," she said. "I'm very surprised that this is her first solo exhibit in Altoona."
SAMA at Altoona will celebrate Baney's work at a reception to be held in conjunction with the museum's regular music program, "Blue Monday," from 6 to 8 p.m. July 13, where the artist willl be in attendance to discuss her works. The Randy Jackson Band will provide musical entertainment.
Baney also will speak at a Lunch a l' Art program at the museum at noon June 4.
But for now, the excitement is all about the exhibit.
"I'm ecstatic - really thrilled," Baney said. "I've been included in a lot of (SAMA at Altoona) shows, but never a solo exhibit. When Barb called me, I was truly speechless. ...I don't take this lightly. It's been a goal of mine for a long time to have a show here."

Taken from Friday, May 22, 2009 Altoona Mirror by Jimmy Mincin

IF YOU GO
WHAT: "Lynn Baney: The Workings of an Expressionist Mind."
WHERE: Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art at Altoona
WHEN: May 22 - Sept 5, 2009
ADMISSION: Free
MORE INFORMATION: SAMA at Altoona is in the Brett Building at 1210 11th Ave., in downtown Altoona. Hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday
SAMA AT ALTOONA'S "BLUE MONDAY" PROGRAM will be from 6 to 8 p.m. July 13. Cost is $20 a person. Lunch a l' Art will be at noon June 4. Cost is $13 for the general public, $12 for SAMA members. To make a respervation for both programs, or for more information, call the museum at 946-4464. Reservations are not required.

WASSILY KANDINSKY, a Russian painter, printmaker, and art theorist who is credited with painting the first modern abstract works, was born in 1866 and became one of the most famous artists of the 20th century.

Composition VIII

DID YOU KNOW?

COLOR IS THE KEYBOARD, THE EYES ARE THE HARMONIES, THE SOUL IS THE PIANO WITH MANY STRINGS. THE ARTIST IS THE HAND THAT PLAYS, TOUCHING ONE KEY OR ANOTHER, TO CAUSE VIBRATIONS IN THE SOUL. - KANDINSKY

Though, Kandinsky was an accomplished artist, he too was a skillful musician playing the piano and cello. Music influenced his paintings, including the naming of his works such as Compositions and Improvisations. He used color in a theoretical manner associating tone with timbre, hue with pitch, and saturation with volume. He claimed to have seen color when he heard music.

A QUOTE FROM KANDINSKY

I APPLIED STREAKS AND BLOBS OF COLORS ONTO THE CANVAS WITH A PALETTE KNIFE AND I MADE THEM SING WITH ALL THE INTENSITY I COULD... - KANDINSKY

Kandinsky’s use of geometric forms can be connected to H. P. Blavatsky who spiritually influenced Kandinsky with his teachings of theosophical theory - that creation is a geometrical progression, beginning with a single point. The creative aspect of the forms is expressed by a descending series of circles, triangles, and squares. Kandinsky desired to find new forms with the extreme of geometric abstraction, which has provided us with an unparalleled collection of abstract art.

LYNN BANEY

Cosmic Configuration 1994

DID YOU KNOW?

The odd thing is when I created this work, I had never seen any of Kandinsky’s paintings until a New York art critic compared my work to his in a review for the New York Times. I realized I had been an unaware participant of the Hundredth Monkey Syndrome. I found that I too love incorporating random color and geometric elements strewn over the paper and allowed to interact without a hierarchical tectonic unity.

A QUOTE FROM LYNN BANEY

INSPIRATION IS UNIVERSAL AND CAN BE TRANSPORTED MIND TO MIND – LYNN BANEY

To view more of my work visit www.brownstoneartgallery.com

My First Blog

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