~JERSEY CITY ARTISTS STUDIO TOUR
. . . last weekend we took our camera over to JERSEY CITY – for the JERSEY CITY ARTISTS STUDIO TOUR, OCT 3 & 4, 2009.
we started off in JERSEY CITY HEIGHTS at the PERSHING FIELD COMMUNITY CENTER, for a show of local artists curated by DIANE FLEMING. then we went downtown to the NEW PORT MALL, for a show curated by ERIC SOPHIE aka LEGOMASTER.
bye the way, the young denizens of NEW YORK CITY – call JERSEY CITY – the land of “the chill” – don’t ask me why . . . I’m really not quite sure what they mean by that – as J.C. is pretty rough & tumble – though sometimes the PATH TRAIN does look like the L train ride to Williamsburg – looked to be circa 1996 !!
FLUVIO GIUDICI. PERSHING FIELD ARTIST GROUP.
FLUVIO GIUDICI . . . Mr. Giudici was born in 1927 in Pirano ITALY, a small town on the Adriatic Coast.
he says: “I went to school for 8 years before going to work in the town boat yard. My job at the ship yard was marine carpenter. I came to America in 1959 and went to work on the water front securing cargo on ships. In 1972 the industry was modernized with containerization and I found myself with a guaranteed salary and a lot of time on my hands. I started painting and drawing to occupy my time, this is my hobby and I am a self-taught artist”.
He told me started painting when his kids left unfinished a ‘paint by numbers’ set in the 1970’s – he didn’t complete the given picture, he just took up the brushes and the left-over paints and started his own painting.
JACK COLEMAN.
unknown by Jack he is wearing our favorite – very early American quilt, ‘star’ pattern: the ‘Ohio Star’, which dates back to the 1880’s. It’s the red 4 pointed star in the knit pattern of his sweater, on his sleeves at the elbow. A very famous pattern that goes back to medieval, maybe earlier roots, as a Christian or Catholic ‘cross’ pattern in Early European embroidery, knit, and crochet. As an American quilt block pattern – it has a great number of names and many variations, such as ‘Lone Star’ and ‘Texas Star’ – so the pattern in general – is often referred to as the ‘variable Star’. ‘Ohio Star’ was so popular, not only because it was so easy to make, but it also – because it was so dramatic. the early quilt makers of this country – also loved it because, each quilter could leave her own ‘mark’ – the basic design being so easily manipulated. So perhaps the early settler’s use of the ‘Ohio Star’s – richest legacy to American design – is that of – a basic patchwork pattern – which looks very different each time you see it, expressing each maker’s individual artistry – from quilt to quilt.
our fav piece of Jack’s was this collage made from archival and souvenir scraps of early NYC pro baseball games. mementos that he said, were first collected by his brother.
detail, JACK COLEMAN . . . Joe DiMaggio.
detail, JACK COLEMAN . . . Babe Ruth !!
black and photos by PAUL TAMBURELLI.
PAUL TAMBURELLI is a young artist/photographer who grew up in Jersey City.
He is currently a fourth year Photography major at SVA – the SCHOOL of VISUAL ARTS, NYC.
PAUL TAMBURELLI.
DIANE LOMBARDI FLEMING, with her work.
she also curated this showing – by the PERSHING FIELD ARTIST’S GROUP, an informal gathering – mostly for the purpose of participating in the PERSHING JERSEY CITY ARTISTS STUDIO TOUR – OCT 2009.
DIANE LOMBARDI FLEMING.
painting by DIANE LOMBARDI FLEMING.
love this one, DIANE LOMBARDI FLEMING.
PATRICIA FRANK’S wall.
PATRICIA FRANK: photoshop manipulated flower photography on laminated poster board.
PATRICIA FRANK.
PATRICIA FRANK.
PATRICIA FRANK on the PERSHING FIELDS playgrounds.
PETER ROSZKOWIAK.
‘TROIKA’, PETER ROSZKOWIAK.
Peter Roszkowaik was born in Poland and came to the U.S. in 1966, when he was 12. He was raised on the Lower East Side,
and lived in the West Village for 15 yrs, where he attended public school. a little later in life, after he had been married for 10 years, he began to get interested in art. “Walking through SOHO for so many years finally got to me. ” !!
He is self-taught and his first project was carving a MEERSCHAUM PIPE, which came in a do-it-yourself kit.
Then he began to carve wood, and recently he has taken up painting. this is only his second painting, ever.
He clearly remembers the rich folk art traditions of the country, he left behind at 12.
PETER ROSZKOWIAK, wood carving.
and yes, he uses only found and re-cycled materials, all the wood, and even including the frame.
PETER ROSZKOWIAK, wood carving. found wood.
PETER ROSZKOWIAK, wood carving.
ELAINE JAMES.
panting by ELAINE JAMES.
Elaine is a native of Jersey City Heights, and interestingly her husband, WALTER JAMES is a founding member of Jersey City’s famous motorcycle club – THE BROTHERHOOD. back in the day – they did many cross country motorcycle tours.
ELAINE JAMES.
ELAINE JAMES.
at some point – we went to see several other stops on the JERSEY CITY ARTISTS TOUR OCT 2009.
Here’s ERIC SOPHIE, who curated the small, but dynamic exhibit in the NEWPORT MALL, downtown Jersey City.
He also has some of his own highly detailed lego works in the show.
walking around a table mounted LEGO sculpture by ERIC SOPHIE aka LEGOMASTER.
its some kind of ‘HQ’ – as in science fiction – headquarters.
OMG – the front !! – detailed LEGO sculpture by ERIC SOPHIE – the LEGOMASTER.
yep. real legos.
lightbox by KEITH VAN PELT, ‘DUTCH TF DUTCHMAN’.
another lightbox by KEITH VAN PELT, ‘DUTCH TF DUTCHMAN’.
deck, ‘BOARD TO LIVE’ – painted by CHRIS REYES & ROMAN LAUREN.
small canvas by – LOSER !!
larger painting by – CHRISTIAN SANTIAGO
CHRISTIAN SANTIAGO.
N.J. landscape painting by WHITNEY BENARD. nice.
local kids turned art critics !! for the day . . . . they are gesturing towards a piece by LOSER.
from very left, at top: paintings by ERIC SOPHIE; LOSER; and BOJANA COKLYAT.
the newest generation of art fans . . . . .
a series of small paintings titled: ‘Hed Nod City’, by DONTIQUE MANGUAL.
DONTIQUE MANGUAL.
poet: JUST PUTT.
when we returned later to PERSHING FIELD – we were able to catch BOB MIKSZA.
marble carving by BOB MIKSZA.
BOB Miksza – 6 years ago he enrolled in a course on marble and stone carving at SVA – the SCHOOL Of VISUAL ARTS, NYC. Lori Ellison, who wrote Bob’s short bio in the small book accompanying the show, tell us: “Since then, Bob has been making sculptures. He modestly calls it a hobby, but it is a passionate one. His work is largely intuitive as he had no training previous to enrolling in that one class. His work reflects his interest in Shamanism and tribal belief systems”.
with all due respect – we noticed the tattoo on his left forearm, which refers to his service as a marine ranger in the Korean war – so we’re thinking his tour of action, as a young man – in the Far East, also had some influence on his art, too.
small table top marble carving by BOB MIKSZA.
and we’ll give JACK COLEMAN, the last hurrah !!
WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO DIANE FLEMING.
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH