"Beyond/In Western New York" premiered at the UB Art Gallery in the Center for the Arts Friday evening at 5 p.m. Its showcase contained many pieces on display by three artists: Ithaca's Leslie Eliet, Toronto's Mark Gomes and Buffalo's own Carin Mincemoyer.
"Beyond/In" is the largest collaborative art exhibition ever held in the Buffalo/Niagara area, with exhibitions from artists with roots as far off as Syracuse and Toronto.
Mark Gomes, an artist for nearly 30 years, had several displays Friday night, including "Bones," "Manifest; 2 of 4," an untitled piece, and "Surface Film." "Surface Film" is an interesting display consisting of photographs of the surfaces of water, mounted on circular aluminum panels.
"The images of water have a real mystery to them," he said. "What you see on the surface is only part of the story."
Mounted on the wall is a piece titled "Walking in meditation; Part VI" painted by Leslie Eliet. Underneath the piece are books of artwork that one can flip through, with the use of gloves, so as not to taint the artwork, and see more of her paintings and work.
Her pieces were splashes of color with moments of silence between them. Mounted inside one gallery room was a lone piece 18 feet in size.
"It took a while to come up with a concept, but then I thought of the 24-hour cycle," she said.
It begins with evening, transforming into sunset, followed by dreams, then morning, and afternoon. As one reads through the cycle, it is amazing to see what Leslie was describing come alive in her artwork.
Leslie studied with a Japanese artist for a year. She said that when people study with Japanese teachers they tend to "sustain a lifelong relationship with the master and the artist." Having to take a break mid-career to become a full-time mom, she said that it was hard not to be doing what she wanted.
"But I was always etching something," Eliet said, with a smile. "I was always drawing something little."
Leslie's method is something called etching, a printmaking technique. She said that etching is to "carve a design on a piece of metal plate, and then submerge it in acid. The acid leaves behind the design that was created."
Most of her artwork is a combination of etching along with Japanese-style painting.
Carin Mincemoyer, a second-year graduate student at UB, was the final artist. Her piece, "Grounded," is an astonishing styrofoam city with a self-made wooden walkway leading the viewer through a Zen-like garden. There is a serene, peaceful atmosphere as one walks through the mini-city of plants, cacti and small ferns, all planted delicately in their own place. Difficult to leave.
The evening climaxed with a performance by Ritsu Katsumata, a well-known electrical violinist. She performed a special piece created especially for Leslie Eliet's artwork. As she played, Leslie's pieces danced upon television screens, Ritsu setting her work to music.
"Beyond/In Western New York" is showcasing over 58 top artists from Upstate New York and Southern Ontario. The UB exposition will be on display in the CFA's art gallery from April 15 to June 24.
Photo: Courtesy of Matthew Messina, from the RMBERS' Instagram page
