Sunday, April 22, 2001
Opening today at The Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown is an exhibition of super-realistic sculptures by artist Marc Sijan. These homages to the human form not only mirror life, but also seem to re-create life in a startling and eerie manner.
These works are compelling and sensual and engage the viewer with faces that are so similar to their models that at any moment one expects them to speak or to move.
Sijan is a Milwaukee-based artist who carries on the tradition of depicting realistically the human form. Yet unlike the ancient Greeks and Romans, Sijan's subjects are not always a celebration of the perfect human form.
From his sleeping security guard to his bathing beauties and shoppers, Sijan pays tribute to real people of our time. This artist's work, similar to that of Duane Hansen, expresses human relationships and our contemporary society with humor and ingenuity.
His career: Sijan earned his bachelor's degree in art in 1968 from the University of Wisconsin and a master of science in art from the same school three years later. His work has wonrecognition with over 40 solo shows nationwide.
Sijan's method is to produce a negative mold in plaster from a live model. He then sculpts the interior with precision tools and a magnifying glass to ensure accuracy and the finest detail. He then casts the figure with a polyester resin.
The artist achieves realistic flesh tones by application of 25 coats of acrylic paint, varnish and, finally, oil paint. The Butler's Sijan realist sculpture exhibition was organized and traveled by Smith Kramer Fine Art Services of Kansas City, Mo.
New York tour: Butler Director Dr. Louis Zona will again lead the Butler's annual New York City art tour Oct. 10 through 14. This year's Butler New York City tour includes one night in the Hamptons and a visit to the Long Island residence and studio of 20th-century abstract painter Jackson Pollock, whose life and work were chronicled by actor-director Ed Harris in the award-winning film "Pollock."
Then it's on to the Big Apple for Dr. Zona's personal tour of the Whitney Museum of American Art, and that museum's much-heralded reinstallation of its magnificent collection. Behind-the-scenes visits to noted galleries will include the famous Nancy Hoffman Gallery in Soho and sculptor Don Gummer's new Manhattan studio.Great food, shopping and superb accommodations are included in this fall trip organized exclusively by Burger Travel of Youngstown. For information and a complete itinerary, call (330) 744-5035.
Other events: On Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. in the Butler's Zona Auditorium, the PBS American Masters film Jasper Johns' "Ideas in Paint" will be screened. This documentary traces the life and career of one of the art world's most luminous and reclusive figures.
On Saturday from 1-3 p.m. at the Butler Salem branch, located at 343 East State St., artist Kevin Llewllyn, whose exhibition of drawings is currently on view at the Columbiana County facility, will present a drawing demonstration. A public reception is also a part of this event.
And on April 29 at 2 p.m. at the Salem museum, Butler Director Dr. Louis Zona will present the third in a series of gallery talks. The discussion will focus on Surrealism and the impact that this movement made on world art. The Butler Salem branch is funded by The Salem Community Foundation.
XButler hours in Youngstown are Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday noon to 4 p.m. Butler hours at the Trumbull branch are Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Butler Salem hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission to all three facilities is free.