'Autumn Fields' Opens Sept. 25 in Williamstown| 10:55AM / Monday, September 22, 2014 | |
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WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — "Autumn Fields," a new series by internationally acclaimed artist Barbara Ernst Prey, will be on view from Sept. 25 through Oct. 31 at the Barbara Prey Gallery in Williamstown.
The exhibit features a new series of never-before-exhibited “plein air” paintings, many of the Berkshires. At once stylistically innovative as well as cognizant of tradition, Prey’s work is celebrated for her use of strong colors and emotive, transcendent explorations of the contemporary landscape.
As one of the key figures of 21st century landscape painting, Prey was appointed by the president of the United States to the National Council on the Arts, the advisory board of the National Endowment for the Arts. Members are chosen for their established record of distinguished service and achievement in the arts. Previous members include noted artists Leonard Bernstein, John Steinbeck, Richard Diebenkorn and Isaac Stern.
Her painting "Lineleader" is currently on exhibit at the National Endowment for the Arts in the office of the Chairman. With work in the White House’s permanent collection, her appointment to the National Council on the Arts, the advisory body to the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as a long list of important private, public, national and international collections, her place as a significant American artist is secure.
Many artists are influenced by their surroundings and the connection they have with nature. In her most recent collection of work she further develops the idea of “En Plein Air,” painting not only nature, but actually practicing the process of painting outside amongst the picturesque fields, warm skies and subtle land. Many of the mid-19th century masters worked this way in order to obtain natural light, but also to arise the other senses in which could truly capture the memory.
Prey explores the depth of the American landscape and her own personal relationship with nature; she illuminates these concepts by using her euphoric color palette and impeccable painting techniques in a contemporary light. Her work challenges the viewer to step back and take into consideration their own identity within America, as well as their personal connection to their surroundings. While the work is predominantly American based in subject matter, the aura Prey produces throughout her work can be appreciated on a global scale. The exhibition proves Preys place as a significant American artist furthering the genre of American driven landscapes.
Prey was recently honored when NASA commissioned her to paint four paintings for their collection. The x-43, the fastest aircraft in the world, included in the Smithsonian Institution’s Traveling Museum exhibit "NASA|ART: 50 Years," was on exhibit at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C. NASA invited her to be the artist spokesperson for the exhibit and she was featured on The CBS Evening News. Her other NASA commissions include "The Columbia Tribute" to commemorate the anniversary of the Columbia tragedy; the "International Space Station," which is on exhibit with her painting of the Columbia Tribute at the Kennedy Space Center; and the "Shuttle Discovery: Return to Flight." Prey joins an elite group of American artists who have been invited by NASA to document the history of space exploration including Norman Rockwell and Robert Rauschenberg.
As an artistic ambassador, Prey’s artwork is included in more than 100 embassies and consulates worldwide, through the U.S. Art in Embassies program. She was recently honored by the U.S. State Department when her painting “The Collection” was selected as the invitation image sent out by every U.S. embassy and ambassador worldwide for their 2013 Independence Day celebrations.
Prey graduated from Williams College, where she studied with Lane Faison, and she has a master's degree from Harvard University, where she was able to continue her art history studies. She was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship and a Henry Luce Foundation grant for her work, which enabled her to travel, study and exhibit extensively in Europe and Asia.
The Barbara Prey Gallery, which opened in May 2013, features changing exhibitions of new works by Prey. The gallery is located at 71 Spring St. and is open Wednesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and by appointment. For more information, call 413-884-6184 or visit www.barbarapreygallery.com.
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