August 10, 2000

Fine Arts Alumni Are Featured Artists In Alumni Redux One Exhibit At Ramapo College

(Mahwah) -- Alumni Redux One, a group exhibition of works by visual arts alumni, will open August 23 in the Kresge and Pascal galleries of the Berrie Center at Ramapo College of New Jersey. The faculty-nominated artists include Mauro Altamura and Chris Twomey (both in the class of '76), Tom McGlynn ('80), and José Hernandez ('98). A closing reception will be held Wednesday, September 13 from 5 to 7 p.m. with the exhibitors on hand to discuss their artwork in detail.

Photographer Mauro Altamura's work represented in the exhibit is mostly black and white, with individual photos grouped into wall installations. "The Last Night on Earth," a major piece is cryptic, with various scenes. He frequently depicts dream imagery and analysis.

Twomey's work is executed using a combination of computer photo manipulation and hand painting with acrylics. She applies the photo manipulations to the painted canvases using a four-color silkscreen process. Informed by her film background, she explores sequential, repetitive imagery, such as the work in this show that consists of colorful images of babies in a grid format and in a wall and floor installation.

McGlynn, whose work has graced the cover of ARTFORUM and been featured in articles in New York magazine, will exhibit large, colorful, abstract paintings in the Ramapo show. He is represented in the collections of the Whitney, the Museum of Modern Art and Smithsonian, as well as in collections of corporations such as Coopers and Lybrand. Ken Johnson, art critic of the New York Times describes McGlynn's work as "color field paintings (that) marry Clifford Still and Ellsworth Kelly."

Hernandez' photographs explore the energy produced by currents of water. "I'm fascinated by its movement, its effect on obstacles in its way, and the random patterns and shapes it produces as it follows the path of least resistance and forces itself forward," he explains. He reinterprets the experience by physical and direct manipulations, making use of computer technology.

The alumni art show was prompted by a conversation between Professor David Freund and Sydney Jenkins, gallery director at Ramapo and the curator of Alumni Redux One. They discussed ways to take advantage of exciting new spaces, provided by the opening of the Berrie Center a year ago, to inspire current fine arts majors. As Jenkins states, "It is sometimes difficult to find real-life examples which provide encouragement for entering careers in the arts, and this exhibition series will highlight those who have continued on after Ramapo to make significant contributions to the field."

Alumni Redux One is the first exhibit in a three-part series extending over the next five years, with the next one (in two years) focusing on sculpture. Gallery hours during the exhibit are Tuesday-Friday, 1-5 p.m. This work was supported in part by a grant from the Ramapo College Foundation.