Exhibition at West End Gallery Brian S. Keeler / Treacy Ziegler

WHO: Two artists represented by West End Gallery

WHAT: “New Artwork by Brian S. Keeler & Treacy Ziegler” Keeler has a collection of new oil paintings and Ziegler has work in a variety of mediums, including oil, bronze, and paper casting.

WHEN: May 6-June 9, 2022
Opening Day Celebration Fri., May 6th 11am-7pm No appointment necessary on Opening Day. Capacity limitations may apply. Inquire for private appointments.

WHERE: Enjoy in person: West End Gallery 12 West Market Street – Corning, NY 14830

Enjoy online: www.westendgallery.net The exhibit will debut online by 11am Opening Day

Admission: All events at West End Gallery are free and open to the public.

Accessibility: Main exhibits are wheelchair accessible and our website now has AudioEye Accessibility Certification.

West End Gallery is excited to announce the opening of its latest exhibit, “A Collection of New Artwork by Brian S. Keeler and Treacy Ziegler”. The exhibit features a stunning new collection of artwork by two regional artists working in a variety of mediums. Keeler has recently created a series of paintings of the Finger Lakes region, featuring Keuka and Seneca Lakes. Ziegler will be exhibiting landscapes and interiors in oil as well as bronzes and paper castings of animals and birds.

Brian Keeler lives in Ithaca NY and has a studio in Wyalusing, PA
2022 marks Brian Keeler’s 30th year represented by West End Gallery!

Brian Keeler has established himself as one of the preeminent realist painters working in the Northeast today. His distinctive use of color, fine draftsmanship, attention to proportional harmony and compositional relationships have made his work easily recognizable. His love of painting landscapes on location in the direct manner of the impressionists and others provides a certain immediacy and authenticity to his paintings. He then combines the plein air work with more ambitious studio paintings. The paintings of Brian Keeler have received a host of awards and acclaim during a career that spans over 30 years. His subjects and sources of inspiration are of the landscapes of Pennsylvania and the Finger Lakes Region of New York State, portraiture, the figure, still life and works from Italy where he teaches painting workshops in Umbria and Tuscany. His paintings have been collected by many individuals, corporations, and museums and feature articles have appeared in American Artist Magazine and in Pastelogram, a journal for pastel artists. Two books have been illustrated by Keeler in collaboration with their authors, one a children’s book and the other a treatise on a mystical theme.

In his artist’s statement, Keeler says, “The portrayal of light as seen directly on the topography of the Finger Lakes area is the unifying theme of this group of paintings. Many of them are plein air works, which means that they were composed and painted on location with completions made in the studio. The paintings of Corot, or more precisely his approach rather than style have often served as an inspiration, as he was the ‘proto-impressionist’, meaning that he was one of the first to take an easel outside to paint. As I often do the out-of-doors painting late in the day because of my attraction to the heightened drama of raking light, a number of these works show the sun glinting on the lakes or glowing through trees etc. Others in the show are entirely painted in the studio but certainly based on impressions and studies from the motif. The play of light as it describes the form and character of the land or figure and brings out various qualities has long been of interest to me and this show continues with that exploration.”

Brian Keeler will soon be releasing a new book on figure painting titled “Light on the Figure – Aspects of Painting People.” This 172-page hardcover is a beautiful compilation of over four decades of painting people. It includes chapters on street scenes, genre subjects, allegory, portraits, Italy and the Nude. This is not just another beautiful coffee table book as it is content-rich with plenty of explanatory text. There is a unique feature to the book that may very well be the first of its kind in publishing. There are links to dozens of the paintings and demos to YouTube tutorials where the artist demonstrates the process. Nothing quite like it ever. In short, the book is a unique functionality between text, image and video! There are plans to have a digital version available, too. The book sells for $54.50 and will be available for sale at West End Gallery in a few weeks.

In advance praise for the book, John O’Hern, former director of the Arnot Art Museum in Elmira, NY and current Santa Fe Editor of International Artist Publishing, states “Brian Keeler is a man literally of many hats, equally at home and accomplished in painting landscapes, portraits and the figure as well as in writing and teaching. I have admired his work for over 30 years. It’s a pleasure to see so many paintings and to read his thoughts on painting the figure in this enlightening book.” Keeler was recently featured in the April 2022 issue of American Art Collector Magazine in an article written by John O’Hern.

Treacy Ziegler of Newfield, NY In her artist’s statement, Ziegler says “My intention in creating art is irrelevant. I like to believe that art exists in a state of ‘without why’ and ‘just because’. Not in the sense that the art speaks for itself as this suggests that the art has to fit into the conceptual space of language. And not in the sense of art for art’s sake as this alternatively suggests that art exists outside the unity of living experience. Art needs no language; it is tacit. Call it unvoiced; or better, pre-voice. However, having said that, in developing art, I must begin at some reference point of experience. I begin with specific space, form, light and shadow in which these elements are evocative and, again, without voice, without a why. I follow this initial reference point, a place, a room, in a certain mood following an aesthetic path rather than a thinking one. My guides along the way are color harmony, composition and light and shadow. The residual narrative is a trace of the original reference point.”

Opening Day Celebration is on Friday, May 6 from 11am-7pm. No appointment is necessary on Opening Day. Capacity limitations may apply. Inquire for private appointments. The exhibit will also debut online by 11am Opening Day www.westendgallery.net The exhibit runs through June 9th.

Please see West End Gallery’s Safety and Operations Updates which include current Business Hours and Services Offered. https://www.westendgallery.net/our-response-to-covid-19/

The event is FREE and open to the public. Families are encouraged to visit. The main exhibit is wheelchair accessible.

Gallery hours: The Gallery is open for walk-ins Tues-Sat from 11am-5pm. Private appointments available Mon 11am-5pm and Tues-Sat from 10-11am. Please call in advance to schedule a private appointment: 607.936.2011
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