The Gallery at St. John’s presents
Art for your appreciation and purchase
“RUINS ENTWINED”
ALYSSHA EVE CSÜK: Photography of Bethlehem Steel Rust
JAIME KAROL: Watercolors of the Steel Stacks and South Bethlehem
JANUARY 13 through FEBRUARY 24, 2019
OPENING RECEPTION: Sunday, January 13, 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm
ARTIST TALKS at 12:30 pm
Alyssha Eve Csük is a fine art photographer whose fascination with bygone industry began in 2003. Her work has been recognized nationally and internationally in magazines (American Photo, The Saturday Evening Post, The Atlantic), the New York Times, on NPR and in the entire Fifth Chapter (Indiana Jane) of the book, RUST – The Longest War. This exposure resulted in her being added to “Timeline of Women in America.”
From the day I stepped foot on the Bethlehem Steel site, I felt a sort of magic. This feeling is what I hope to elicit in my work. I find the erosive effects of the elements have transformed the facades of the mill, slate and scrap into textural canvases. To me these textural surfaces are similar to moss, where colors are more alive and vibrant after rain. Emerging from semi-darkness I’d find in these colorful patinas what seemed like watercolor or oil portraits. It was with patience, careful study and observation that I was able to capture painterly abstract photographs that lay bare unlikely beauty in unexpected places. The images are all straight photography – no manipulation.- Alyssha Eve Csük
Jaime Karol has spent most of her career teaching art. Prior to her position as a teacher, she spent four years developing the arts department and program at Brownsville Academy HS in Brooklyn where she received the “Teacher of the Year Award” and the “New York State Assembly Award for Teacher Excellence.” Her interest in industrial landscapes led her to develop a series of paintings inspired by Bethlehem Steel and the surrounding community.
In general, I am fascinated with spaces that are rich in texture and linear qualities. I enjoy painting surfaces and using lines to develop form and imagery. While creating this series of watercolor paintings, I preserved the linear qualities of the I beams, wires, brick textures and railings, while also protecting highlights and shadows. Once the painting portion was finished, I started to scratch back into the work creating even more texture, lines, and destruction. I feel as if I only scratched the surface of this series, as I allow images and ideas to uncover a more conceptual understanding of my overall purpose -.Jaime Karol
Special Event: Sunday, February 10 at 1:30 pm
“TWO OLD RUINS: The Jim and Herb Show”
Heaps of stuff – some fun, some serious – along with a few bits and pieces
Jim Henderschedt and Herb Gifford are two retired pastors of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. In 2011, they teamed up on a project they called Word Limit 55 in which they write sermons, meditations, and other stuff in no more, no less than 55 words. Jim is an accomplished artist and story teller. Herb has collected jokes and quotations for some 70 years. He also writes nonsense books based on his concept of “faction” – a little bit or fact and a whole lot of fiction. Their presentation will be loosely planned to combine their work and the reaction of the audience – a live interactive experience.
Gallery hours: Sundays, 12:00 to 3:00 pm and Weekdays by Appointment
The gallery is free and open to the public. Free parking