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WHAT
DOES PEACE LOOK LIKE? July
2 – July 21, 2005 Everyday we are bombarded with images of war and violence by the media on television and in movies. It's unsettling and stressful for most people. Worse, it's become so de rigeur that we're mainly numb to it now. That's why a group of New Jersey-based artists have taken on the daunting task of providing a new vision. . . What does peace look like?
It's all these things and so much more. How then do you capture in paint or metal or emulsion, a concept so beloved by so many? A new eight-person show being held at the The Art Alliance of Monmouth County Gallery, in Red Bank, NJ explores the nature of what peace looks like through a variety of artistic media. Titled "What Does Peace Look Like?" the show is being held for three weeks in July . Eight extremely talented artists, Scott Buttfield, Elvir Caranay, Donna Clapp, Jeffrey Clapp, Teddy Ehmann, Glenn Murgacz, Donna Roettger, and Peter Woronoff have depicted their vision of what peace looks like in almost every artistic form possible from watercolor to acrylic paintings, photography to sculpture. Gallery
hours: Mon-Wed (closed); Thu-Fri (6-9:30pm), Sat-Sun (1-4 & 6-9:30pm) About the Artists:
Scott is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF), living and practicing in Red Bank, New Jersey. He has always had a strong interest in numerous social concerns such as protecting our environment, human rights, animal rights, personal growth, and so on. This interest is reflected in his work as a Financial Planner in the area of Investment Management. His focus is on providing his clients with Socially Responsible Investments (SRI) that allow them to have their values reflected in their investment portfolios. Scott's photography reflects his deep interest and concern for nature and our environment, animals, and human beings, especially children. Currently living with his girlfriend, Toni, he has been an amateur photographer for 30 years. Photography is one of a number of passions Scott has outside of his work. Others are cooking, enjoying classical music and opera, and playing electric bass with rock and roll bands. 1. What does peace look like to you? Peace to me is more of how I feel in the presence of something, rather than what it necessarily "looks" like. When I am in quiet, natural setting outdoors, be it at the beach, in a forest, on a mountain, or viewing a sunset, the scene before me evokes a sense of peace. Peace can also look like the natural serenity of animals: they seem to always be in the present moment, undistracted by the past or the future. It can also be in the faces of children. 2. What inspires you? From an artistic point of view, what inspires me the most are peaceful settings. One of my favorite parts of the world is Acadia National Park, and the other is my family's summer home in Castine. Both are on the Penobscot bay in the northern coastal area of Maine. The beauty and majesty of animals, and the innocence of children also inspire me. As a photographer, I am inspired when I am able to capture what I see and feel in a photograph. I am also inspired when my photographs touch others. 3. What is your medium of choice? Why? My medium of choice is 35mm color photography. For me, photography is a medium that captures a moment in time, and with 35mm, that moment is "as is". While some alteration can occur with a photographs development, basically what you see is set when the picture is taken. The challenge of photography is to know how to best set the camera, find the right angle, time the shutter, and often, sense what the subject is going to do just as I am taking the shot, especially with animals and children. Part of the fun is the anticipation of waiting until the pictures are developed to see if I got it right. 4. Who are my favorite artists? Who influences you? Certainly Ansel Adams is one of my favorite photographers. His work conveys tremendous contrast and depth, and I consider him to be one of the best black and white photographers who ever lived. The photographer, who's name escapes me, who was/is one of the photographers for National Geographic magazine and took the photograph of the young Afghan girl has always been one of my favorites. He captured her amazing blue eyes in a cover photograph that is instantly recognizable. Who has and continues to influence me, specific to photography, is Daniel Dorn Sr., who took numerous black and white photographs in and around Red Bank. (The closing of Dorn's Photo Shop has saddened me a great deal and I consider it to be a great loss to our town). Another photographer who has influenced me is my aunt, Helen Stevens Buttfield. Stevie, as we know her, is a very accomplished photographer and artist and has collaborated on numerous books and shows in New York City over the years. My grandfather, Waldo Thompson, was also influenced my interest in photography. He and my grandmother would come down to visit us and he would take photographs in the back yard with this huge camera with a bellows and separate light meter and all. To me as a young boy, it was very impressive. 5. How long have you been creating and what or who inspired you to start? I bought my first camera in 1975 upon graduating from college. My roommate Gary was buying a camera and I thought it sounded like fun, so I bought the exact same one. I just started taking pictures and after awhile, people commented that some of them were quite good-I actually did get it right now and then. However, what really inspired me was my father's work. My father, Donald C. Buttfield, was not a photographer, but rather a woodworker. Beyond that, he was a craftsman. Back in the mid 70's, he began making miniature replicas of antique furniture. His work was outstanding and in a very short period of time, he became one of the most respected artisans in this field. He retired from his construction career and began making miniature furniture as a second, far more relaxed, career. Collectors coveted his work and today it is shown in museums. I don't have his talent for woodworking, but I seem to have at least some talent with a camera. While I love my work as a financial planner, I know that at some point I will want to "wind down" and pursue other interests. My father's model of developing a second career, as an artistic expression, has always impressed me and I guess I would like to do this also. 6. What outcome (or breakthrough) do you see possible for yourself out of participating in this show? For years I have given enlargements of my photographs to family and friends as holiday and birthday gifts. For almost as many years, people have said I should put my work in shows. I finally decided that they were probably right, and so my first breakthrough is to participate in this show-my first. The outcome that I see possible is for people to begin to see my work in a larger venue than family living rooms at Christmas, and will like it. Eventually, I would like to be entering shows on a regular basis, selling my work, and "developing" (pun intended) a following, which will pave the way for my second career.
1. What does peace look like to you? To me, peace is already there--we just don't see it. The reason why we don't is because of a juxtaposition of ideas, ideals, concepts, points of view, etc... that causes conflict and confrontation, which blur the vision of peace, however that may be. Peace is like air. We simply dont see it, but see everything else and take that into account and call it the truth. My vision of peace is like a neverending collage of humanityÑlike a worldwide collaboration with the planet being the canvas. People can just freely be who they are and that's it--no conflicts, no disagreements, no violence, just freely be. Peace can also be a juxtapostion of what we already see and know. It is the meaning we put behind it that gives it life and causes us to wonder. 2. What inspires you? Virtually all things visual--anything from the clouds in the sky, cereal boxes, to a Miro painting. It's so fascinating that simple objects are charged with such meaning and are extrapolated so far from their mere existence. Oil + wood = painting = mona lisa = masterpiece. That's why I always carry a camera with me. I'm obsessed with the world. 3. What is your medium of choice? Why? My medium of choice is--actually I really should say that I'm starting out with acrylic on canvas. I like the smooth free flow of acrylic on canvas and to me it seems very clean. But then who knows, I just might throw in a little digital, silkscreening, spray paint, or even permanent marker. It's just me also thinking with my graphic design hat on! 4. Who are your favorite artists? Who influences you? Henri Matisse, Joan Miro, Jean-Michel Basquiat... and more contemporary artists like Shepard Fairey, Dave Kinsey, and Ryan McGinness. All of these artists show from the raw to the refined, from the simple to the complex--self expression is one common language. 5. How long have you been creating and what or who inspired you to start? As far as I could remember, it goes way back to my first box of crayolas, the 64 box w/ the sharpener! From then on, the art programs in school just fueled my appetite for colors and creation. Expressing myself artistically and creatively came naturally to me, like another languageÑof speaking visually. I then went on to study graphic design (after receiving a BA in psychology!) and that opened my eyes even wider. I saw things like I never saw before. It was the raw vibrance of L.A. that made me realize that I was at home being able to create and design. - 6. What outcome do you see possible for yourself out of participating in this show? Just being myself and allowing others to see what I see. Being part of a collaboration is a step closer to my overall vision of human collaboration--my ultimate vision of peace.
1. What does peace look like to you? Peace looks like everyone having food, shelter and clothing to sustain their body; education and art to sustain their spirit; and love and dignity to sustain their soul. A world that works for everyone where children grow up free, and strong. 2. What inspires you? People inspire me. That's why so many of my pictures are photos of people from around the world. I feel that a place is just a place, no matter how beautiful, without the people who live there. 3. What is your medium of choice? Why? Photography, I love capturing a moment in time and freezing it for all time. 4. Who are your favorite artists? Who influences you? My husband is my favorite artist. Honestly, I would never have discovered my photograpic talent without him. I really started taking photos specifically as reference for Jeff to paint from. Once I started looking at the world through his eyes suddenly my photos became more than snapshots. Suddenly they were art. 5. How long have you been creating and what or who inspired you to start? I've been creating photos for the past two and a half years. See above for who inspires me. 6. What outcome do you see possible for yourself out of participating in this show? I can't wait to share my photos with family and friends! The other outcome I anticipate is the inspiration to complete my application for the Master's in Documentary Filmmaking I'm applying for at the New School in New York City.
1. What does peace look like to you? What peace looks like is life being played full out, full self-expression, dreams being fulfilled, people contributing and standing for one another, taking time to be "IN" life, not at the effect of it. I see this most in children. There is only now for children, "can't" doesn't register, they just go for it, they are fearless, resilient, sharing, loving and full of possibility. I believe that when people recapture that childlike expression, free of all the constraints they place on themselves, they find fulfillment, and in being fulfilled they find peace. My paintings are an expression of people present to who they are and at peace. I want you as the viewer to be in the moment with me, capturing a sliver of life.
2.Ê What inspires you? People when they get their own greatness and go for their dreams, not stopped by their circumstances or conversations about themselves. When I got freedom around my stops in being a professional fine artist and now in action fulfilling that dream, I wanted nothing more than to empower others to do the same in whatever it is for them that they want. When I am able to contribute to someone in causing a result in life they thought impossible, there is nothing more satisifying for me. It allows me to experience being the kind of leader in my life I have always strived to be. Contributing to others is what is most rewarding and most makes a difference for me and when I see my art inspiring others that is over the top rewarding. 3. What is your medium of choice? Why? Watercolor, for 15 years it is been my primary medium. However, for this show I broke my comfort level and tried on something totally new, acrylics. I think the last time I did anything in acryclics was in 1991 for an illustration for Atari magazine (dating myself). And what is most exciting is how quickly I fell in love with acrylics. It was a natural switch as they are both share many similar properties but I can get more out of acrylics and push them farther than I could with watercolor and I love that. It is a whole new adventure unfolding and I look forward to seeing what comes of it. 4. Who are your favorite artists? Who influences you? I have many favorite artists including Rembrandt, Vermeer, Pollack, Degas, Michelangelo. Rembrandt for his ability to have a figure come to life out of a dark and muddied background that when you are up on top of the painting it is unclear, out of focus, smears of color and then you step back about ten feet and this amazing, realistic person jumps off the canvas at you. Vermeer was a master at capturing intimate and voyeristic moments, peeking in on someone's life as an unoticed observer, this is how I love to shoot when I am finding reference for my paintings, I often do all I can to go unnoticed by the subject so I can capture a natural, unposed look at their life. Pollack for me is the epitomy of controlled choas. You could look at his work and say he just splattered paint but if you really spend time you see the mastery of what he created. I love to splatter and use paint to call forth movement, surprise and energy in my work and it is controlled and not all by accident. Degas is another artist for me who spent time just observing life and people. He took the everyday person and had their moements in life be important and worth capturing on canvas. He brought elegance, grace and dignity to his subjects which I really admire. Michelangelo is the all time king for me. After reading The Agony and The Ectasy I was hooked by his willingness to stop at nothing to be the best at what he was most passionate about. He was a pioneer in the world of sculpture and visualizing the figure and a master who was always interested in more. I most admire his perseverance and passion for life. 5. How long have you been creating and what or who inspired you to start? Short and funny memory of my Mom's is that I loved to eat crayons as a kid. Guess you could say it was in my blood. I have always just loved to draw and paint. I still have my drawings from kindergarten onward. It is fun to go back and look at the progression over time. I feel most free when I am creating and have just begun to find my voice in what I am up to in my art make a difference in the world. My parents are both very artistic, though not professional artists by trade so I always had support and encouragement in pursuing this in life. That has made the biggest difference for me, having them be fully up inder what I am up to as an artist. 6. What outcome do you see possible for yourself out of participating in this show? Discovering what is next for me in my art and self-expression. I love the theme of the show and I love that artists are never afraid to share their thoughts and feelings with people. Art has changed society and been a reflection of what is possible and to create into that is awesome. The biggest possibility I see is having this be the launching pad for a much bigger project I am pursuing inside of the same conversation of peace. It is a mural project involving children from all over the globe participating in an unprecedented world art project that is their conversation for what peace looks like. I look forward to seeing how that comes to life.
What does peace look like? I am creating six new paintings in response to the show's theme. What I have come to understand is that I have had glimpses of what peace feels like, sounds like, smells like and tastes like... Using my past experience, I am now creating works that visualize those moments. All works are representational though not realistic. Each painting takes an instance and glimpse of peace from my past and creates a new world relying on deeply personal symbols which are composed into a vision. They are like snap shots in paint that are both memory and imagination. Not knowing the answer to the question," what does peace look like?', these pantings attempt to answer the question by simply stating tat at this moment, peace looked like this, or if an image went along with this memory, it could look this way. All works for this show have a basis in nature, location and even season. This is how I have always worked. But rather than look through my paintings for places that connotate peace, I found rich and new territory in exploring the theme and being open to what new images and works would emerge from the exercise. What inspires me: I am most inspired by nature and sex and the spirit worlds. My medium of choice is any opaque painting medium; gouache, oils and or acrylics. I need something substantial that has weight and can be layered, blended, pushed and played with. I prefer a medium that lets me push it around. My favorite artist: My favorite artists are Paul Cezanne, Henri Matisse, and Paul Cadmus. I am most influenced by the poet Pablo Neruda. I have been creating since childhood. My grandfather was a fine artist who loved landscape painting. I saw myself as an artist and a painter early in life. It has been both the greatest blessing as well as the greatest curse. The outcome I see: I have always wanted to work in collaboration with other artists and creative souls. What I see for my involvement in this show is a dream come true.
1. What does peace look like to you? Peace looks like a warm smile, an arm around a child's shoulder, a hand-holding lover's walk into a gorgeous sunset. Peace looks like mist on a tranquil pond, family dinners and a nap in a hammock. 2. What inspires you? I'm inspired by love, nature, humanity, artists of all disciplines and modern dance. 3. What is your medium of choice? Why? I prefer to work with steel. I like its strength and its permanence. The process is intense, using every tool in the shop to transform the medium into emotion and movement. It amazes me to be able to create that impact with a material that is so cold and hard and industrial. 4. Who are my favorite artists? Who influences you? Artists that I am influenced by are Picasso, Brancusi, Giacometti, Dali, David Smith, Jackson Pollock, Andy Warhol. 5. How long have you been creating and what or who inspired you to start? I have always been drawn to metal sculpture. I saw a tiny abstract metal sculpture in a window garden in Greenwich Village in the 60s and always thought that I would love to be able to create something like that. In 1993 I saw an ad in my local paper for an Oxyacetylene welding outfit for sale. I bought it and taught myself to weld and I've been enjoying the rush of creativity ever since. v 6. What outcome (or breakthrough) do you see possible for yourself out of participating in this show? v Being a part of this community of artists representing the concept of peace is really exhilarating. The combined effort will produce amazing results for all of us I'm sure. The synergy will expand all of our little circles of influence and contribute to the concept of peace in the world. Because of that energy, I will feel just that much more peaceful in my own world.
Donna J. Roettger is a NJ watercolor painter with a BFA from Parsons School of Design, NYC, and an MA in medical illustration from University of Texas Southwester n Medical Center, Dallas. An award winning artist from the garden state Donna believes, "Peace is a state of being whereby body, mind and soul are so completely focused on the present moment, a void is created within the inner space, leaving room for a calm knowing that is love without boundary or end." The subjects in her landscape paintings are fully engrossed in their own thoughts and feelings, unaware of any observers. By creating such a focused portrait of a moment, she hopes the viewer can "feel" the experience, rather than just "see" it. In, "When Two Become One", an original watercolor painting by Donna, she depicts her two sons engrossed in connecting their separate shadows to become a single entity. The work is about one being "in the moment" relating to another being "in the moment", and the viewer relating to them both "in the moment". Donna says, "Only when peace is present within ourselves are we truly able to connect with others." 1. What does peace look like to me? Peace for me is a state of being, whereby body, mind and soul are so completely focused on the present moment, a void is created within the inner space, leaving room for a calm knowing that is love without boundary or end. There is no better place for peace to be expressed than in nature..perfect, calm, serene, pure, and without pretense. 2. What inspires me? The sun and the earth inspire me. The way light and shadow dance on the earth's surface still takes my breath away. We are truly blessed to be trusted observers of this amazing planet's design. It becomes a metaphor for love and peace for me, and it is a profound privilege, and a humbling experience for me to try to interpret it. 3. What is my medium of choice? I've worked in a variety of media..from large scale environmental sculpture to small intimate drawings, and I enjoy them all for what they can express. Right now I'm using watercolor almost exclusively. Why? v Watercolor projects the ultimate in purity and luminosity for me. It has an almost magical quality. This is what I'm trying to convey to the viewer in my paintings right now. 4. Who are my favorite artists? I love Mark Rothko's large color field paintings, I have had overwhelming, almost religious experiences looking at them. Robert Smithson is my hero. His Earthworks depicting entropy, the breakdown of a system that cannot be put back together, are cerebral yet corporeal at the same time. I think that is what I am trying to do, connect with both the mental and physical senses of the viewer. Who influences me? I love the earthy palettes with glimmers of color of Andrew Wyeth and N.C. Wyeth. Both display a mastery of painting technique that is unsurpassed. Also, John Singer Sargent and Winslow Homer have a luminosity to their work that is beyond compare. 5. How long have I been creating and what or who inspired me to start? I've been creating since as long as I can remember. I started taking watercolor classes from Tom Valenti, a NJ Watercolor artist, when I was 16, after my Mom spoke to him and thought it would be good for me to take lessons to keep me out of trouble. 6. What outcome (or breakthrough) do I see possible for myself out of participating in this show? I see a coming together of different artists committed to a similar goal. I am inventing the possibility of community and contribution for myself, my life and those around me, coming out of this show.
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What does peace look like to you? 1. Peace looks like a free exchange of opposites, a yin/yang of lights and colors, constantly mixing, switching, in motion, providing energy, lovely to perceive. 2. I am inspired by courage, the overcoming of limits, generosity 3. Steel. In the physical struggle to create, I find peace and inspiration. Steel resists, but it is strong and reliable. Welding is hypnotic and steel is beautiful. art related to computers is a limitless challenge/opportunity for creative imagination. Printing allows for a dance, a ritual that release the spiritual. 4. Picasso, Miyazaki, Buckminster Fuller, unknown masters from around the world and of various centuries 5. I have been creating for 40 years. I was inspired by my Aunt who was an artist and gave me unlimited love, Mrs. Putnam, (my peaceful, friendly, afterschool teacher), and Picasso. I saw an exhibit of Picasso at the Montreal Museum and was amazed that such art could be created, and amazed that the honesty in it would be so appreciated that it would even be exhibited. 6. Sharing beauty, peace, strength. Participating in an expanding, powerful team of artists.
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special thanks to all who came out to support us and be with us during
these amazing three weeks...we love you.
Scott
Buttfield - Photographer
Elvir
Caranay - Painter
Donna
Clapp - Photographer
Jeff
Clapp - Painter
Teddy
Ehmann - Painter
Glenn
Murgacz - Sculptor
Donna
Roettger - Painter
Peter
Woronoff - SculptorUnauthorized use of any images herein is strictly prohibited by law.