"Patterns" - Marvin Cline Exhibition at Watchung Arts Center

Patterns, by Warren resident and artist Marvin Cline, is an exhibit of graphic abstract black and white photography with no shades of grey - just pure black and white. The show will be on view in the Watchung Arts Center’s Lower Gallery from May 1 through May 31. An opening reception will be held on May 1st from 1- 4 PM. The reception and the exhibit are free and open to the public.

This is the first solo exhibition of the eleven large prints in this show, which represent a new departure for Marvin Cline who has started working in this form in the last year.

Marvin says, "This collection of black and white graphic images represents a significant departure from everything I've done previously. They are photographs that have been transported out of their real-world setting into a new kind of existence where only lines, shapes and patterns matter and everything is either black or white.

"The patterns in these works are what speak to me. I find them throughout the environment and am very strongly attracted by them. I feel each image delivers a compelling message regarding basic themes such as simplicity, complexity, orderliness, randomness, repose and action, which I hope is appreciated by the viewer. For me there is a special joy in all aspects of their creation - from their inception to the final piece, and I believe it is because of the surprising metamorphosis that occurs each step along the way, especially when the print appears for the first time.

"Abstraction has always been a hallmark of my work and I've used it consistently over the years to obtain an original look. While working with some promising geometric images recently, it became clear to me that they needed to be rendered in pure black and white to realize their full potential. I expanded and refined the selection and processing of my images to arrive at what is now a significant collection of work in this idiom.

"The transformation from photograph to black and white graphic print varies widely depending on the original composition but generally involves reduction (removing undesired elements), amplification (highlighting and delineating desired elements), toning (conversion to black and white) and orientation.

"Black gallery blocks were chosen for this presentation to enhance the images by extending the abstract theme to include the print mounts themselves and to eliminate any competing visual elements such as glass and frames."

This solo show was awarded to Marvin by the New Art Group in a competition for three solo show opportunities this year in the Watchung Arts Center Lower Gallery.

Marvin lives in Warren, NJ and is a frequent exhibitor at the Watchung Arts Center and other regional galleries.

The Watchung Arts Center is located on the circle at 18 Stirling Road, Watchung, NJ. The Gallery is open Tues.-Fri. noon-5pm and Sat. 10:00am-3:00pm. For more information go to watchungarts.org or call 908 753 0190.

Photo Captions:

Blowdown by Marvin Cline

Mask by Marvin Cline