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WHATS NEW |
| Yarosh Gallery Begins 2009 with Non-Conformist Show Featuring Vachagan Narazyan |
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Holmdel, NJ—Amid the bitter cold of winter and harsh global climates, James Yarosh Associates announces the gallery’s first show of 2009, Non-Conformist Since 1997- In the Bleak Midwinter, an exhibit showcasing the work of the gallery’s most esteemed Russian artists, set to open on February 7.
With a title inspired by the words of 19th Century poet Christina Rossetti which later became the lyrics for a 20th Century Christmas carol, the exhibit primarily features artists whose work was once considered dissident in their homeland of the former Soviet Union. Non-Conformist Since 1997- In the Bleak Midwinter celebrates the unconquerable spirit of these artists to create and follow their unique artistic paths despite opposition and political tyranny. “These wonderful works demonstrate immense artistic integrity, and are the result of each artist’s triumph over adversity,” said James Yarosh, gallery owner.
Highlighted in the exhibit is the work of Vachagan Narazyan, a nationally-featured Non-Conformist Russian artist. Narazyan, who now resides in the Ukraine, continues to create works which depict his own interpretations of both old world history and futuristic visions, an artistic path which offered welcome escape from the reality of life in Communist Russia, and which continues to deliver a message laced with memories. With themes drawn from childhood recollections of acrobats at the Russian Circus, and inspirations which include depictions of his own children, the artist continues to present series of paintings such as Absurd Travel, which feature physical, horizontal journeys as well as vertical depictions of spiritual travel, and explorations of greater awareness.
With this exhibit, Yarosh reflects back to 1997, at which time his own gallery had been open for only a year. After dedicating more than a decade to a career managing several galleries in New York and New Jersey, Yarosh, an artist himself, opened James Yarosh Associates Fine Art Gallery, as an “artist’s gallery”, featuring the work of regional artists within his Holmdel establishment. With close proximity to New York City, the gallery grew rapidly beginning with its very first day of business, but, unknown to Yarosh, was soon to find a new direction.
It was in 1997 that Yarosh discovered the work of Narazyan, when, after overcoming cultural and language barriers, he purchased pieces from a group of Russian artists, and the circumstances quickly became a turning point. Drawn to the work, Yarosh immersed himself in the study of Russia’s Non-Conformist artists, and soon discovered that his instincts had led him to the discovery of more than 20 paintings by Narazyan, the same artist whose previous works were part of the famed Norton Dodge collection, a massive compilation of 10,000 works by various Russian artists, smuggled to the United States from Russia, and saved from certain destruction by Norton Dodge, economist, sovietologist, and professor emeritus. Some of the Narazyan works smuggled by Dodge have since been donated to the Zimmerli Museum at Rutgers University.
In a 1999 Narazyan catalog, Dodge references the artist’s work with the following comments:
“Each of Narazyan’s paintings is a small gem with a larger than life presence. They are in the style of fantastic realism or neo-surrealism and combine the real with the surreal in some earlier, undefined historic period. Narazyan employs a delicate, sensitive painting technique as well as a marvelous palette of rich but subdued colors. The figurative elements in his work can be explicit and recognizable as well as vague and quite unusual. All this gives his work a quality of mystery which, like the Mona Lisa’s smile, captures the viewer’s attention and imagination. A number of Narazyan’s early works are a valued part of the permanent collection of the Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University.”
Since his first U.S. shows, Nazaryan’s art has taken on a life of its own. In 2002, Art & Antiques named him a top emerging artist in the U.S., and in 2006 James Yarosh Associates hosted the artist for an exclusive, one-artist exhibition. More recently, Nazaryan’s success was reviewed in an 8-page article published in the Winter 2008 Art & Antiques Sourcebook which featured Yarosh for his early recognition and representation of Russian art, including the work of Nazaryan.
The artist’s work has since become very popular in his native Russia, and the growing demand in both the U.S. and abroad has resulted in a scarcity of his work, with fewer and fewer pieces making their way to the U.S. “Narazyan works are a precious rarity. I am lucky that my longstanding relationship as a representative of the artist allows me the opportunity to continue to receive his paintings and the ability to pass them on to collectors,” said Yarosh.
Yarosh is quick to note the enthusiasm and dedication of Narazyan collectors. “I am happy to offer this large collection at both the gallery and on my website, as my Narazyan clients are widespread, and always anxious to see what is new and available for purchase.”
For Yarosh, Narazyan’s work and the artist’s many devoted collectors echo his personal philosophy as both an artist and a gallery owner. “There is always pride in offering the work of an artist whose spirit is so great, and having clients who collect numerous pieces of his art and appreciate each new turn it takes, as part of his hopeful storytelling. I feel fortunate that there are like minds who share the value of coming home each day to something as beautiful as fine art as an opportunity to renew the spirit and put life in perspective.”
Non-Conformist Since 1997 –In the Bleak Mid-Winter will open on February 7 and continue through March. The exhibition will also feature the work of renowned Russian artists Edward Yashin, Alexander Vlatsenko, and Andrey Skripka.
James Yarosh Associates Fine Art Gallery is located an hour outside New York City in the Design and Fine Arts Building at 55 East Main Street, in Holmdel, NJ. Gallery hours are Saturday Noon to 4 p.m., and weekdays or evenings by appointment.
James Yarosh Associates is a nationally-recognized gallery providing personalized fine art services to individuals and professional design firms for both corporate and residential projects. For more information about the gallery, or current and upcoming events, please email the gallery at jamesyarosh@yahoo.com or call 732-993-5278. |
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