River Series New Paintings by Jim Schantz

RIVER SERIES NEW PAINTINGS BY JIM SCHANTZ

PUCKER GALLERY • BOSTON Summer Dusk All works are oil on canvas. FRONT COVER: 62 x 56” Summer, Sunset JMS645 42 x 68” JMS649 nineteen RIVER SERIES NEW PAINTINGS BY JIM SCHANTZ

“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul alike.1” - JOHN MUIR (1838-1910), AMERICAN CONSERVATIONIST AND NATURALIST

mong the elements of nature, water is es- As a landscape artist, Schantz has traditionally fo- pecially curative. For artist Jim Schantz, cused on the rich natural environment of the Berk- the river is a daily companion with whom shire region he calls home. Throughout the years, his he enjoys an intimate and nuanced relationship. Behind thoughtful eye has often turned to the river (both the his home in Stockbridge, MA, the Housatonic River Housatonic and the Green Rivers are in his neighbor- gently runs amid the brambles and bushes. As a painter, hood), but he has also been drawn to nature’s other mul- Schantz has explored the river’s abundant facets as it titudinous bounty (such as mountains, hills, trees and evolves throughout the day and year. More recently he valleys). In recent years, his increased participation in has become an activist, tirelessly working to protect this river conservation and education has manifested itself in resource and keep his community mindful of its value. a passionate focus on the river in his work. That focus He observes the river, celebrates it, thrives off of it, and on a single subject has brought him intensely close to protects it. This rapport between Schantz and the river it, and the river has revealed itself to be endlessly full of is the embodiment of John Muir’s philosophy. Through inspiration. The artist never tires of the river; rather, its his artwork, we too can allow the nourishing beauty of power multiplies and his desire to paint it anew grows. nature into our daily lives. Is this because the river—carved by the constant ﬂ ux of

THREE water—is perpetually changing? As Heraclitus (540-480 recreational use of the river is on the rise. BC) wrote: “no man ever steps in the same river twice, for Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882), who it is not the same river and he is not the same man.2” used the Housatonic as his muse in the 19th century long Three years ago, Schantz joined the Stockbridge Con- before environmental conservation as we know it today servation Commission, a local arm of the Massachusetts existed, wrote in Hyperion: A Romance: “but does it not Cultural Commis- often offend you to sion responsible for hear people speaking protecting the state’s of Art and Nature as wetlands. The com- opposite and discor- mittee (a six-member dant things? Surely volunteer group made nothing can be more up of Schantz, an false. Nature is a environmental law- revelation of God; yer, and local busi- art is a revelation nessmen) is charged of Man.3” The in- with oversight when trinsic connection construction occurs Jim Schantz draws in the river’s vicinity between nature and and with community art serve as a fi tting education and out- defense for Longfel- Summer, Evening Refl ection reach. Ever since the 18 x 22” low’s argument. For JMS648 area was settled in the Schantz, the river is 18th century, the Housatonic has been harnessed as an a place of meditation. It is as much a refuge for him as invaluable resource but has consequently been plagued it is for the herons and eagles that now thrive there. His by pollution. In the latter half of the 20th century, in the art refl ects the contemplative and enduring timelessness face of environmental carelessness and general neglect, of the river and allows us to escape the banalities of ev- the river lost much of its wildlife and its recreational eryday life and glimpse the divinity of which Longfellow use waned. However, through conservation efforts like speaks. In the serene work Summer, Dusk (JMS645), the those of the Stockbridge Commission, much of the wild- trees refl ecting in the water’s surface barely ripple and life that had virtually disappeared has been restored and the pink light refracts behind the clouds, conjuring the

FOUR warmth and relaxation of a summer day. The painting is and allows the artist more control over how light moves a salve to the hectic pace of life. around the painting. Schantz begins with an underpaint- Schantz’s recent attention to the river as a subject ing of color (which upon fi rst glance might seem discor- marries well with his shift from pastel to oil as a me- dant with the colors of the fi nished painting) that lays dium. Traditionally a pastel artist, Schantz still fi nds the groundwork for recreating the nuanced colors and inspiration in the im- light shifts that exist mediacy and physical- in nature. Schantz is ity of working with a master of sfumato, a pastel. Over the past word coined during two years, however, he the Italian Renais- has embarked on a new sance to describe a method using oil—a style without harsh slower and more stud- lines or stark distinc- ied approach—that he tions of color. Rather, feels more persuasively layered shades and gra- communicates the riv- dations of darks and er’s qualities. The li- lights blend together quidity of oil paint has seamlessly. This lay- a kinship with water ering sets the atmo- that makes the paint- spheric tone of the ing feel authentic. In painting—whether it the time-consuming is bright or brooding, process in which he Magenta Sunset still or stormy. 20 x 20” layers pigment and JMS650 Because all of Jim glaze, Schantz slowly Schantz’s work in this coaxes the image out of the canvas. The process of glaz- exhibition is about a single theme—the river— we can ing was developed by the Venetians during the Italian enjoy them by degrees and languish in the small chang- Renaissance and 17th-century Dutch painters like Ver- es of light and color that, when summed up, make for meer are masters of the technique. Layering pigment and dramatically different scenes. The artist may have been tinted glaze over time creates unparalleled luminosity sitting in the exact same spot when he painted both Sum-

FIVE mer, Evening Refl ection (JMS648) and Summer, Afternoon abstract conceptual experiences. Though Magenta Sunset Refl ection (JMS651), but his deft manipulation of layers, (JMS650) depicts a specifi c and beautiful place and time, lights, and tones form two completely different paint- it is also a study of the color magenta. It is an abstract ings. In Evening Refl ection, a small shaft of silver light ex- examination of the reds, oranges, and blues that, when udes from the horizon and refl ects off the water while all optically combined, create what we call magenta. The around the deep purples, blues, and reds of the summer painting embodies what magenta would feel like if we night abound. In Afternoon Refl ection, no less alive, the could touch it—warm, spirited, and a little wild. bright rays of the mid-day sun cast about the river and Meandering through this collection of river paintings result in lighter hues and more distinct shapes. by Jim Schantz, we are transported to a place to “play in Stylistically, Schantz harmoniously blends Abstrac- and pray in,” just as John Muir encouraged us to do. From tion with Realism. Those who have visited the Berk- the gentility of the morning light to sunset’s ferocious shires know these places and have personal association fi re, from purple’s heat to blue’s freshness, water sees all with them. Even for those who have not been to that re- of nature and mirrors it for us. Each work by Jim Schantz gion, these familiar and recognizable places elicit strong in turn captures a little of nature’s healing power. His un- emotional responses. In the large painting After the spoiled scenes belie man’s existence and invite us into soli- Storm (Summer, Dusk) (JMS635), a summer sunset puts tary musing. Despite his work to combat the ill-effects of on an elaborate light show as vivid refl ections dance off man on the river, Schantz elects to show us pristine beauty the water. Schantz preserves an instant which moments in lieu of confrontational images. In this way, we are not later will dissipate into a new fl ash of beauty. Darkness guiltily called to action but are viscerally inspired to do will then fall and the moment will be lost; we relish in our part in maintaining the river’s grandeur. its capture because it is a moment we have all experi- —JEANNE V. KOLES enced and wished we could hold on to. Beyond being Jeanne Koles is an independent consultant who does writing, design, realistic interpretations, however, his paintings are also and project management for museums and the cultural sector.

1 Muir, John. The Yosemite (1912) 2 Heraclitus. On the Universe 3 Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth. Hyperion: A Romance (1839)

SIX Summer, Afternoon Reﬂ ection 22 x 30” JMS651

SEVEN Summer Morning 16 x 20” JMS638

September, Afternoon 12 x 12” JMS637

EIGHT Midsummer Reﬂ ection 36 x 36” JMS643

NINE August, Dusk 42 x 36” JMS646

TEN July, Afternoon Reﬂ ection 42 x 36” JMS647

ELEVEN Violet Dawn Reﬂ ection 36 x 48” JMS652

TWELVE June, Dawn Reﬂ ection 36 x 60” JMS653

THIRTEEN Evening Reﬂ ection 36 x 60” JMS644

FOURTEEN Post Storm Evening 20 x 20” JMS642

FIFTEEN JIM SCHANTZ BIOGRAPHY

1955 Born in Perth Amboy, NJ EXHIBITIONS 2010 Pucker Gallery, Boston, MA EDUCATION Pamatnik Terezin, Czech Republic 1981 MFA, University of California, Davis, CA 2009 Sanford Smith Gallery, Great Barrington, MA 1980 Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Argazzi Fine Art, Lakeville, CT Skowhegan, ME 2008 Pucker Gallery, Boston, MA 1978 Brooklyn Museum School, Brooklyn, NY Cavalier Gallery, New York, NY 1977 BFA, magna cum laude, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 2007 Banff Art Center, Leighton Studio, Banff, Alberta, Canada 1975-1976 Hornsey School of Art, London, England Harrison Gallery, Williamstown, MA 2006 Pucker Gallery, Boston, MA TEACHING 2004 Art Complex Museum, Duxbury, MA 2007-2008 Learning Leader Volunteer, Brandeis High School, New Harrison Gallery, Williamstown, MA York, NY John Natsoulas Gallery, Davis, CA 2006 Visiting Lecturer, Kaye College, Beersheba, Israel Pucker Gallery, Boston, MA 1992-2007 Interlaken School of Art, Stockbridge, MA 2003 Harrison Gallery, Williamstown, MA 1992-1994 Westfi eld State College, Westfi eld, MA New Arts Gallery, Litchfi eld, CT 1991 Bard College at Simon’s Rock, Great Barrington, MA 2002 Pucker Gallery, Boston, MA 1987 Russell Sage College, Albany, NY 2001 Harrison Gallery, Williamstown, MA 1982-1998 Berkshire Community College, Pittsfi eld, MA Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge, MA 1981-1982 Assistant Professor, California State College, Stanislaus, Turlock, CA 2000 Pucker Gallery, Boston, MA 1999 Albany Institute of History and Art, Albany, NY GRANTS AND AWARDS New Arts Gallery, Litchfi eld, CT Finalist, Massachusetts Council of the Arts Fellowship 1998 Pucker Gallery, Boston, MA Artist in Residence Grant, Massachusetts Cultural Council 1997 Berkshire Museum, Pittsfi eld, MA Research Fellowship, University of California, Davis, CA Holsten Galleries, Stockbridge, MA Teaching Fellowship, University of California, Davis, CA Simon Gallery, Morristown, NJ Skowhegan Scholarship, Skowhegan School of Art, Skowhegan, ME Springfi eld Museum of Fine Arts, Springfi eld, MA Ford Foundation Grant, Syracuse University, NY 1996 Berkshire Gallery, Great Barrington, MA Ford Foundation Grant, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY Bridgewater/Lustberg Gallery, New York, NY Roswell G. Hill Award for Excellence in Painting, Syracuse University, Rosenfi eld Gallery, Philadelphia, PA Syracuse, NY Ute Stebich Gallery, Lenox, MA Foreign Study Scholarship, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 1995 Fuller Museum of Art, Brockton, MA Pucker Gallery, Boston, MA Schenectady Art Museum, Schenectady, NY Springfi eld Museum of Fine Arts, Springfi eld, MA

SIXTEEN 1994 Albany Institute of History and Art, Albany, NY SELECTED PUBLIC COLLECTIONS Holsten Galleries, Stockbridge, MA Art Complex Museum, Duxbury, MA Springfi eld Museum of Fine Arts, Springfi eld, MA Children’s Hospital, Chicago, IL 1993 Arno Maris Gallery, Westfi eld State College, Westfi eld, MA The Boston Company, Boston, MA Berkshire Museum, Pittsfi eld, MA Citizen’s Bank, Boston, MA Nuance Galleries, Tampa, FL Congregation Kehillath Israel, Brookline, MA Pucker Gallery, Boston, MA Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 1992 Heritage State Park Museum, Holyoke, MA Everett Jewish Life Center, Chautauqua, NY Holsten Galleries, Stockbridge, MA Fidelity Investments Corporation, Boston, MA Pucker Gallery, Boston, MA First Albany Corporation, Albany, NY Binney Art Gallery, Wilbraham & Monson Academy, Fleet Bank, Western Massachusetts, Springfi eld, MA Wilbraham, MA The Jerusalem Foundation, New York, NY 1991 Art Complex Museum, Duxbury, MA Lowe Art Museum, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY Edgewood Orchards Gallery, Fish Creek, WI Memorial Library, University of California, Davis, CA Holsten Galleries, Stockbridge, MA Mount Saint Benedict Priory, Erie, PA Pucker Safrai Gallery, Boston, MA Nelson Museum, University of California, Davis, CA Teikyo Post University, Waterbury, CT Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge, MA 1990 Albany Center Galleries, Capital Repertory Theatre, Albany, NY Pamatnik, Terezin, Czech Republic Pucker Safrai Gallery, Boston, MA Post University, Waterbury, CT Rice Gallery, Albany Institute of History and Art, Albany, NY Rose Art Museum, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 1989 Frank Bernaducci Gallery, New York, NY Schick Gallery, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY Pucker Safrai Gallery, Boston, MA Simon’s Rock of Bard College, Great Barrington, MA Rice Gallery, Albany Institute of History and Art, Albany, NY Tufts University, Medford, MA 1988 Berkshire Artisans Gallery, Pittsfi eld, MA University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA Pucker Safrai Gallery, Boston, MA Williams College Museum, Williamstown, MA Simon’s Rock College, Great Barrington, MA 1987 Holsten Galleries, Stockbridge, MA PROJECTS AND COLLABORATIONS Rice Gallery, Albany Institute of History and Art, Albany, NY Hawthorne String Quartet, music and art collaboration, Ozawa Worcester Polytechnical Institute, Worcester, MA Hall, Tanglewood, Stockbridge, MA, August 2009 1986 Craftworks/Artworks, Concord, NH Hawthorne String Quartet, music and art collaboration, Skidmore Ruth Siegel Gallery, New York, NY College, Saratoga Springs, NY, March 2008 1985 Clark-Whitney Gallery, Lenox, MA Hawthorne String Quartet, music and art collaboration, U.S. Westenhook Gallery, Sheffi eld, MA Ambassador’s Residence, Prague, Czech Republic, September 2007 1984 Stockbridge Gallery, Stockbridge, MA Places of the Spirit: The Holy Land, CD collaboration with fl utist Paula 1983 Adam L. Gimbel Gallery, New York, NY Robison to benefi t the Jerusalem Foundation, Spring 2007 Haber-Theodore Gallery, New York, NY Hawthorne String Quartet, music and art collaboration, Gasson 1982 California State College, Stanislaus, Turlock, CA Hall, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, April 2007 Dana Reich Gallery, San Francisco, CA Hawthorne String Quartet, music and art collaboration, Bard College at Simon’s Rock, Great Barrington, MA, March 2006 1981 Gorman Museum, University of California, Davis, CA Memorial Union Art Gallery, Master of Fine Arts Places of the Spirit, CD collaboration with fl utist Paula Robison to Exhibition, Davis, CA benefi t the Camphill Foundation, Spring 2003 1978 Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY

SEVENTEEN JIM SCHANTZ ARTIST’S STATEMENT

Indeed the river is a perpetual gala, and boasts each month a new ornament. Who looks upon a river in a meditative hour, and is not reminded of the ﬂ ux of all things? RALPH WALDO EMERSON, NATURE

hroughout the past twenty years that I have exhibited at Pucker Gallery, I have been fascinated by the river landscape. While the river is a valuable resource of life, it also offers us beauty and inspiration. As a place to refl ect and contemplate, it is a metaphor for our own journey through life. My interest in this subject has become more concentrated during the past two years and has resulted in this River Series. While exploring this series, I have had the opportunity to transition from working primarily in pastel to oil on canvas. The painting medium has given me an opportunity to interpret and depict the meditative qualities of the river in a fresh manner. The fl uid application of paint lends itself to interpreting the fl owing effect of the river and gestural textures of the landscape. The transparent glazing technique which I have appropriated has provided a way to portray the subtle atmospheric effects and refl ective qualities of the river environment. I hope these works will convey to the viewer the power of the river landscape and a place to transcend our daily experience. This marks the fi rst time at Pucker Gallery that I have presented a body of works on canvas. I am grateful for the opportunity to develop this series and

sabinephotoart.com wish to thank Bernie and Sue Pucker and everyone at Pucker Gallery for their support over the years. I also would like to thank my family for their love and encouragement.

EIGHTEEN After the Storm (Summer, Dusk) 48 x 60” JMS635

nineteen PUCKER GALLERY 171 Newbury Street Boston, MA 02116 Phone: 617.267.9473 Fax: 617.424.9759 E-mail: [email protected]

To view this catalogue and other Gallery publications and to experience an audio tour of the exhibition, please visit www.puckergallery.com.

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One hour free validated parking is available in the lot on the corner of Newbury and Dartmouth Streets.

Address Services Requested RIVER SERIES NEW PAINTINGS BY JIM SCHANTZ

DATES: 13 March to 12 April 2010

OPENING RECEPTION: 13 March 2010, 3:00 to 6:00 pm The public is invited to attend. The artist will be present.

CREDITS: Design: Leslie Anne Feagley | Editors: Destiny M. Barletta and Justine H. Choi | Photography: Keith McWilliams