Wyckoff Artist Exhibit 'Diners, Dives and Neon' on Display in Westwood

Make no mistake. This was not Guy Fieri making a wrong turn while taping his show.

"Diners, Dives and Neon" was equally as cool, but involved less food and more art. Wyckoff artist Mark Oberndorf is behind the exhibit, which opened Sunday at . 

As you can see from the photos, his art focuses on a familiar topic: neon signs. When asked for his inspiration, Oberndorf replied, “a barber shop in Rochelle Park started it all.”

He went on to explain that as he looked at the older building, he realized it was only a matter of time until it was “gonna be torn down.” This would provide the central inspiration for his chosen theme.

(Ironically enough, he pointed out, that barber shop remains standing today.)

Over time, Oberndorf explained that he got more and more interested in neon signs. He even got a chance to paint the façade of Artkraft Strauss before it was torn down.

The works on display at the exhibit opening are from familiar locales all over New Jersey, including Hackensack, Wood-Ridge, Glen Rock and more.

The work is traditional oil on linen, not airbrushing or other such techniques, as explained by Gary Heise, who works at Westwood Gallery. He also pointed out the limited edition giclee on canvas archival prints, produced by Mark Cohen. The artist was signing several of them.

These prints were also impressive, capturing the essence of the oil on linen work of the artist. “Printing is fast. Color correction is the time consuming issue,” Cohen explained. He also mentioned that working with digital photography produced better color with which to base the prints.

Everyone at the gallery clearly enjoyed viewing Oberndorf’s work. As Oberndorf points out on his own website, he sees his mission as preserving history, documenting local structures before they are gone forever.

Westwood Gallery owner Mike Fitzsimmons had acquired diner-appropriate food–sliders and French fries–from across the street for the opening Sunday.

The Westwood Gallery, located at 10 Westwood Ave., has been in existence since 1999. "Diners, Dives and Neon" will be featured until April 16.