NED WERT Bold and Brilliant Artist's Reception, Friday, October 19th, 6:00 - 9:00 at the Lynden Gallery

Featuring Jazz by the Barrie Spessler Trio

$5 suggested cover in support of the band

Urban Monuments 22" x 30" acrylic on Arches 300#

LYNDEN GALLERY PRESENTS NED WERT’S “BOLD AND BRILLIANT,” a collection of

abstract acrylics in Ned’s characteristic gestural language and engaging, visually stunning

form. The culmination of two years of artistic development and creation, “Bold and Brilliant” is

a fascinating kaleidoscope of careful study, observation, contemplation, and the translation of

complex landscapes into bright, colorful, abstract scenes. The exhibition opens on Friday,

October 19th

from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., with a reception celebration that includes a preview of the

recently-completed Ned Wert documentary clip, and the jazz performance by The BARRIE

SPESSLER TRIO. The exhibit will be on display throughout the end of autumn and will

continue through the holiday season.

A PROFESSIONAL ARTIST, Wert received his bachelor’s degree in art education from Indiana

University of Pennsylvania (IUP) in Indiana, PA in 1958. For 12 years, he was a high school art

teacher at Elizabethtown Area High School in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania. He went on to earn

a master’s degree in art education from Pennsylvania State University in State College, PA in

1964 and later pursued post-graduate education in several locations: the Blossom-Kent Art

Program at Kent State University in Kent, OH in 1970; the Photography and Television

Production program at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) in Indiana, PA in 1971; and a

Creative Arts Studies program in Lucca, Italy in 1978. Wert held a professor emeritus position

in the art department of IUP and was the director of the University Museum from 1988 to

1996. Prior to this, he was a professor of creative art studies for IUP in Lucca, Italy.

A NATIVE OF BRUSH VALLEY IN INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA, Wert resides

in a house that was once a stagecoach stop on an old dirt road. Here, Wert is the only resident

artist, dwelling in this tiny village of about 300 people and painting abstract representations of

the lovely landscape of the rural Pennsylvanian countryside. His studio is an addition added to

the garage, designed and built by a local Amish friend and accented by skylights to let in the

natural light of day and night. Wert is very particular about what he stores in this intimate,

almost sacred space; nothing is kept here but the art. He keeps his painting materials so separate

from the house so that he isn’t tempted to try to keep things clean, as trying to keep things tidy

would inhibit creativity.

AS A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT, Wert was very indecisive about which art form he would

pursue after graduation. He was torn between his love for art and his love for music. He did not

possess a great desire for teaching music, however much he enjoyed singing and playing

trombone, and he felt that he did not know enough about music to teach it. “But I knew enough

to teach art,” he says, “so I did that.” Wert found that teaching art came easily to him; he found

that he could show others what he saw in abstract work and that he could teach them to see

things differently. While it is more difficult to teach students how to paint abstractly than it is to

teach them to paint realistically, Wert was able to look to the skies for comparative

examples. He relates abstract art to observing the clouds; we naturally try to find images in the

clouds that aren’t truly there. In the same way, Wert was able to teach students what to look for

in abstract pieces, to find the pictures in the clouds. “We have a tendency not to like what we

don’t understand,” he says. “I can teach someone to see a painting the way I see a painting.”

RATHER THAN ‘ART TEACHER,’ Wert prefers to be called an ‘artist teacher,’ because not

only is he an instructor of art, but art is an essential and vital part of his life. “Not only do I teach

art, I make art,” Wert said. In addition to teaching both adolescents and adults, Wert has

exhibited artwork in numerous locations throughout the eastern part of the country. His work

has been featured in both solo and group exhibitions in Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware,

Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, Connecticut, and West Virginia. A few of his works are also kept

in private collections, which span more than 28 states and 10 foreign countries; one of these

collections resides in Dusseldorf, West Germany at the American International School, and

another resides in Lucca, Italy at the Selene, Inc. manufacturing company. Wert’s works have

been given numerous awards at various juried art exhibitions, including those at the Central

Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts in State College, PA, the Butler Institute of American Art in

Youngstown, OH, the Lancaster Summer Arts Festival Show in Lancaster, PA, and the Hazleton

Art League Annual in Hazleton, PA.

ALWAYS A TRAVELER, Wert visited Europe on sabbatical in 1969 and created 40 original

paintings, immediately selling 20 and bringing the other 20 back home to the U.S. Since then,

Wert has continued to travel the world, painting in places like Mexico, Central America, Europe,

Africa, and Asia. His works represent a deep respect and admiration for the diversity and

uniqueness of world cultures and religions and the people who practice them. For him, the

artwork emphasizes his ability to embrace the way people celebrate their beliefs. He has spent a

significant number of years – over 50 now – observing and appreciating scenes for their natural

beauty, in their natural state, in their own moment of time. He observes with an appreciative and

compassionate eye, able to translate these scenes of real life into abstract renditions whose colors

and shapes reflect the energy and mood of the ever-changing world. His most recent excursion

took place in the Caribbean islands, the trip which inspired his newest collection, “Bold and

Brilliant.”

‘ONE MAN’S TRASH IS ANOTHER MAN’S TREASURE,’ as the old adage goes. This can

be said for Wert’s newest collection as well. The works are inspired by all manner of things that

he encountered in the Caribbean: rocks, driftwood, washed-up debris, and just plain old piles of

junk. In this collection as well as others, Wert has worked from countless sketchbooks and

photographs to create the abstract pieces we see. Unlike the finished paintings, the sketches he

uses as references are drawn realistically. Wert uses these realistic images to craft those of the

abstract. He begins by building up layers of acrylic onto Arches paper, a French hand-made

material that behaves almost like a cloth. Artists working with Arches paper must work flat in

order to prevent the colors from running off of the silky material. After building up these layers

of paint and eliminating the texturized surface of the paper, Wert begins to craft the shapes and

forms that will dominate and accent the artwork in synergized ways.

SHAPE AND COLOR ARE THE BUILDING BLOCKS of Wert’s signature works. As the title

of the collection, “Bold and Brilliant,” suggests, the color schemes of his newest works do not

shy away from being bright and energetic, lively and emotive. He is careful not to let too many

shapes dominant the pieces; usually, one or two forms are the predominant forces in the work,

and other shapes, which are smaller and toned down, become tasteful accents. Blocking in a

scaffolding of shape and form is his first step; the next is deciding which of these forms will take

precedence over the others, and which colors will shine the brightest. The forms of each work

are based on the scaffolding of structural lines, and the color choices follow suit. The final

process is a glazing process in which Wert layers transparent color over opaque color, creating

his works’ signature looks of mystery, intrigue, and incredible depth.

"My work has always been characterized by loose brushwork and a strong use of color.

The result is spontaneous, but the patterns of nature and cultural heritage are an

underlying structural element. The color is often brilliant, immediately accessible and

applied in a direct and personal manner. I use color both impressionistically and

expressionistically.”

“BOLD AND BRILLIANT” represents a continuous two-year period of painting in which these

pieces are the sole products; Wert did not pursue any other projects during this period of travel,

study, and creation. It is a collection of careful observation and appreciation for the vividness,

excitement, and activity of the natural world. As a whole, it aims to convey a sense of change, of

progression, of unity yet uniqueness. Each work is a journey that takes Wert through many

creative stages, often ending up at a destination that was previously unbeknownst to

him. Sometimes, the overall look as well as the message of a work can alter itself completely

from beginning to end; it can break barriers, surpass boundaries, decide its own destiny. And of

this creative quest, Wert says, “I would never change the sequence of the way I did things,” no

matter the result.

A JAZZ RECEPTION featuring the musical talents of the BARRIE SPESSLER JAZZ TRIO

will take place on Friday, October 19th

from 6 pm to 9 pm. Spessler grew up in Millersburg,

Pennsylvania, attended Millersburg High School with Ned Wert, and earned his degrees in music

education from Pennsylvania State University and the U.S. Navy School of Music. Assigned to

the 371st Army Band at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas, he later was a member of the 33

rd Army

Band in Heidelberg, Germany, touring and performing extensively in Germany and throughout

Europe. He taught instrumental and vocal music and led jazz ensembles for Penn’s Valley

School District in State College, PA and in Arlington, Virginia Public Schools. He has

performed extensively in the Washington, D.C. area. Spessler currently resides in

Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. Visitors to the gallery on reception night are sure to enjoy the

relaxed and refined atmosphere that jazz performances can provide for an exhibition. A $5.00

cover charge is suggested in support of the band.

A PREVIEW OF THE NED WERT DOCUMENTARY will be shown on reception night. The

documentary is an ongoing project spearheaded by Lynden Gallery, written and produced by

Lisa Clemens, gallery proprietor, and co-directed and filmed by Steve Witmer of Tape-to-Disc

Studios in Lancaster. The film features never-before-seen interviews with Ned Wert as he

relates the intimate details of his early life, current life, and creative process. For collectors,

followers, admirers, and visitors alike, this exclusive preview is not to be missed.

LYNDEN GALLERY is located at 117 South Market Street in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania in

the original, refurbished Fire Hall. The gallery is handicap accessible and offers convenient

parking. Open hours include Wednesday through Friday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and Saturday

10:00 am to 3:00 pm, by chance or by appointment. One of central Pennsylvania’s largest

commercial fine art galleries, the gallery also offers complete custom framing and restoration

services. Proprietor Lisa Clemens provides interior design/build and project management

services, specializing in adaptive reuse projects and incorporating art in the environment. For

more information about Lynden Gallery, call the gallery at 717.367.9236, or refer to the website

at www.lyndengallery.com.

Lynden Gallery

INTERIOR & ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN

CUSTOM FRAMING and FINE ART PROCUREMENT