Incubation, Area Artists Explore New Ground

"He might be on the ground. He might be in the air. He might be a she — what you see is not what you'll get." Acclaimed metal sculptor Julie Joy Saypoff was talking about her piece, "Metamorphosis," a sculpture that always is changing.  

"Metamorphosis" will stop morphing long enough to debut between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. during the Saturday's opening of "Incubation," the annual signature exhibition at the Incubator Gallery of the New Jersey Arts Incubator, 495 Prospect Ave., Essex Green, West Orange, in the courtyard adjoining the AMC Cinema entrance.

After that, "Metamorphosis" and his comrades in art — oils on canvas, drawings, installation pieces, mixed media, photography and sculptures-can be viewed during the gallery's weekend afternoons and by appointment through Oct. 30.

As to the always-morphing "Metamorphosis," asked how tall he may get, Saypoff responded, "That could depend on the height of the ceiling — and the ceilings at the Incubation Gallery are 12 feet high."

Saypoff, who learned to weld from her plumber, works largely in copper. She creates organic, abstract forms that seek their own voice. Both profound and playful, her sculptures attract discussion locally, nationally and internationally.

"I have 12 pieces, six monumental  outdoor works and six smaller indoor pieces at Salinas Arte Contemporaneo in Medina Del Campo, Spain," Saypoff said. "They also may travel around the world."

She, like many of the exhibiting artists, have appeared at previous Art Incubator exhibits.

The show is curated by Lorena La Grassa, who is among the 16 artists taking part. Others include Monika Piatkiewicz, Daniel Malinsky, Doreen Valenza, Carol Black-Lemon, Tim Folzenlogen, Robert Lach, Bonnie Shanas, Esther Tanahashi, Heidi Sussman, vanOs, Paul DiZefalo, Larry Dell, Aimee Hertog and Rosalia Verdun.

LaGrassa, who also is the executive director of ValleyArts, Inc. and curates shows at its IronWorks Gallery, sees her relationship with each artist as unique.

"We can all be all mentors and we can all learn from each other," LaGrassa said. "I work to create a community for artists and settings where the art can be seen."

The annual Incubation show emphasizes a range of perspectives with appeal to a diverse audience. It often encourages artists who are moving in new directions, such as two established, highly regarded West Orange-based artists, Heidi Sussman and Robert F. Lach.

Sussman, an award-winning photojournalist, made a transition from film to digital photography a few years ago. Missing the hands-on involvement of working in her darkroom, Sussman has been combining the ancient technique of encaustic with the modern digital image to haunting effect.

"Incubation is defined as a process of unconscious recombination of thought stimulated by conscious work, resulting in novel ideas at some later point in time," Sussman said.

"I first took digital photographs of wax or wooden figures, printed them on newsprint and mounted them on buildings, walls or wooden panels. Next, I added multiple layers of wax over the image, heating and scraping the wax in order to add texture, dimension and a surreal quality."

In 2007, artist Robert Lach received rave reviews for his daring "Women of the Abandoned Paint Factory," where he encased old pin up images within salvaged factory doors.

Lately, Lach has dramatically changed his medium and the size of his works. He calls on his exceptional draftsmanship to create small, intricate silk screen images of bodies trapped within bodies.

"My current work comes from universal themes of loss and grief," Lach, 46, said. "I am exploring how we are all trapped within our physical selves and the increasing limitations of age."