Educator and ‘offsprings’ to unite in show

Print by Carl Chiarenza.
Print by Carl Chiarenza.

Going on view at the Rochester Contemporary Art Center, with an artists’ reception from 6:00-9:00 pm on Thursday, February 6, 2014 , this new exhibition, Makers & Mentors, celebrates the artwork and influence of one of the region’s most well-known and accomplished artist, Carl Chiarenza, who as the first person in the United States to receive a PhD in the History of Photography, Chiarenza has been an important figure in the Boston, New York and Rochester art communities for over fifty years.

Artist Lisa Bradley.
oil on canvas, 38 x 48 inches, 2012 by Lisa Bradley.

     His influence on the field of art photography has been significant and Chiarenza’s photographs can be found in several monographs and many photographic history texts. Chiarenza’s idiosyncratic use of unlikely materials and his development of an unusual visual language have made his work uniquely recognizable. Featured will be a new, never-exhibited series of actual collages by him and all sale proceeds of these works goes to benefit The Future Fund, The Art Center’s first-ever Capital Campaign.

      Joining him in this exhibition are three other artists who have been influenced by him in different ways. The exhibit will remain through March 16, 2014.

     Lisa Bradley, an abstract painter who has been working and exhibiting in New York City for many years. Bradley studied the History of Photography with Chiarenza during her time at Boston University. In this showing, there will be a selection of her recent large-scale oil paintings and works on paper.

 

Print by Bruno Chalifour.
Print by Bruno Chalifour.

    Bradley’s artwork has been exhibited in group and solo exhibitions in the United States, being the Hollis Taggart Gallery and E.M. Donahue Gallery in New York as well as numerous museums, bieng the New Orleans Museum of Art, Delaware Art Museum, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art, Weisman Art Museum and Brenau University Galleries and internationally the Kaj Forblom Gallery in Helskinki, Finland.

     In addition, Bradley is prominently featured in the film, “Herb & Dorothy 50×50”, which is about the storied art collectors Herb and Dorothy Vogel.

     Born in France, photographer, writer, and educator Bruno Chalifour received an MFA from the University of Buffalo. A significant figure in the Rochester art community, Chalifour has held various teaching positions and he is a tireless advocate for the thoughtful consideration of the photographic medium.

      Chalifour and Chiarenza have had a long-running, informal exchange about each other’s work and the field of photography. His work has been included in exhibitions at the George Eastman House, Center at High Falls and the Williams Gallery, including many others. On view will include selected images, diptychs and triptychs from Chalifour’s major, ongoing project related to the landscape of Mendon Ponds park in Rochester.

Print by David W. Haas.
Print by David W. Haas.

     David W. Haas is a landscape and documentary photographer, educator and master photographic printer. His work has been exhibited at he University of the Arts in Philadelphia, and the National Building Museum in Washington DC. Photos by Haas are included in the collections of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Library of Congress and the Museum of Contemporary Photography, among others. He received an MFA from the University of Delaware.

     Exhibited here for the first time, Haas works explores abstraction in obvious and commonplace environments.

     This is the seventh year for RoCo’s Makers & Mentors exhibition series, which furthers a dialog about the importance of art education in the Central-Western New York region and highlights an established and influential artist based in the area.