Jane Shoenfeld’s ‘The Center Cannot Hold’ (in response to phrase from ‘The Second Coming’, WB Yeats,) Pastel on Tinted, Sanded Paper, 28 1/8” X 20 1/8”. Courtesy/SFCC
Bill Sortino’s ‘Possibilities’, Acrylic on Canvas, 36” x 48”. Courtesy/SFCC
SFCC News:
SANTA FE — Santa Fe Community College’s (SFCC) Visual Arts Gallery presents the exhibition, ‘Paintings and Poetry: The Center Cannot Hold,’ 5-7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 3 in the gallery at 6401 Richards. Ave.
The exhibition features the work of artists Jane Shoenfeld and Bill Sortino. Proof of vaccination will be required for attendance at the opening and to attend a special workshop with Poet Donald Levering from 1-4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 11.
The two diverse contemporary artists will offer a showcase of paintings imbued with a deep connection to poetry.
“This is such an exciting show that will resonate with artists and poets alike,” Director of the Visual Arts Gallery, Linda Cassel said. “While the artists are quite different, they both are so gifted and dedicated to immersing themselves in the full artistic process of painting, as well as writing poetry.”
A workshop “Poems from Paintings” with Poet Donald Levering is scheduled in conjunction with the exhibition 1-4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 11 at the SFCC Visual Arts Gallery at SFCC’s main campus, 6401 Richards Avenue. Participants in this workshop will write poems in response to the paintings in this exhibition.
For many years, Shoenfeld’s pastel paintings were inspired by the poems of W.B. Yeats. In recent years, her paintings have been in response to her own poetry. Sortino began exploring the concept of ekphrasis by melding his love of painting with his own poetry.
Jane Shoenfeld Artist Statement:
“For several years, I’ve created art in response to lines from Yeats’ 1919 poem, “The Second Coming.” Read aloud, his poem is a visionary incantation. Chanting his phrases while painting, I invoke both the collective and my own unconscious. Sadly, Yeats’ dark and symbolic vision remains relevant as we confront a pandemic and climate change. I continue to create visual art in response to his dark vision, to my own dreams, my own poetry and to nature’s glorious energy where wind blows, water flows, space is animated and nothing is empty.”
“I was first invited to show this body of work at SFCC in 2019. Since then, the exhibit has transformed into a collaboration between Bill Sortino and myself. We are both giving life to worlds of images and images in words. I also have created a book of my poetry, along with images that will be available at this exhibit.”
Bill Sortino Artist Statement:
“Having lived in Santa Fe since 1982, I have absorbed this high desert land I now call home. This hallowed ground, which stirs the soul, is why artists have cherished New Mexico for so long. Recently, I have added my poetry to my paintings, providing an additional glimpse into my creativity and opening an alternative view to the work. This process is called “ekphrasis.” For me, poetry sits at the same table with nonobjective art and Jazz. Each is an expression of the integral space of our being, allowing for the acceptance of the multiple dimensions of space and the recognition that concepts of a mere three-dimensional relationship with time, limits not just our bodies, but also the unending union with our soul!”
See more about Shoenfeld and her work at https://www.janeshoenfeld.com/. Also, view Shoenfeld 2016 Video Abstracts of Nature at https://vimeo.com/152208063/
See more about Sortino and his art at https://www.billsortino.com/
The Santa Fe Visual Arts Gallery is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday on the SFCC’s main campus, 6401 Richards Ave. All are welcome to visit the gallery.
Special note: SFCC COVID visitor on campus protocols require all visitors to wear a mask and to social distance. For more information about the gallery, contact SFCC’s Director of Art on Campus Linda Cassel at linda.cassel@sfcc.edu or 505.428.1501.
