Summer Art Exhibit Explores the Border Between Water and Air

A group of artists is bringing a successful exhibit to Peekskill from New York City.

The creators of “Breaking Surface” are holding an opening reception from 6-9 PM Thursday at Gallery @ The Flatz, 1008 Main Street, Peekskill, NY 10566. The show runs from June 30 - August 30.

Here's what they have to say about it:

Instead of doubling down on the New York art scene after their successful run, the five artists of the group exhibition “Breaking Surface” are setting their sights north.

“Breaking Surface” consists of photographs and moving image artworks which explore the border between water and air.

The show’s website states, “Each work offers the viewer a stillness through which to search the complex curves and reflections of water’s surface, to weigh the tension between asymmetrical elements against the overall balance these elements yield within the frame. Within this context, images range from the fanciful to the abstract.”

As “Breaking Surface” exhibited in Galleria ‘Ca d’Oro in Chelsea, NYC last year, demand for fine art photographer Aldara Ortega’s work increased substantially. Prices have more than doubled since the show opened. Ortega draws a circle around a map of the region on her computer screen. “A lot of people who live more than thirty-miles outside of Manhattan never go to Manhattan. They may love art, they could potentially love my work but if we can’t reach them where they live, they will never know about us.”

On Thursday, June 30 from 6-9 PM, “Breaking Surface” opens at Gallery @ The Flatz in downtown Peekskill. For owner Erik Contzius, it is not a moment too soon. “We want to promote area artists. There is so much talent in Upper Westchester and the Hudson Valley. And now, we are starting to see some artists from New York City notice the thriving art community up here—how much we both love and buy art."

In a 2012 article, The Examiner News reported the impact of the arts in Westchester County at $156-million, according to Janet Langsam, CEO of Arts Westchester, the official arts organization for the county. Art is getting seen and sold in Westchester.

There is increasing evidence established artists are looking to exhibit in Westchester. Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art is a museum a few hundred yards up the road from Gallery @ The Flatz. The museum’s current exhibit, “Word," features work by Ann Hamilton, whose late 2012 show at the Park Avenue Armory, “in the event of a thread” was one of the most popular art shows in recent memory.

Jo-Ann Brody, HVCCA’s communications director, says the benefits to outside artists showing work have never been greater. “In the past few years this area has been a place for finding an artistic community--Peekskill has some 200 artists living and working here. The coffee houses, HVCCA, the Paramount, First Monday Salon contribute to the cultural life here.”

Contzius is simply happy to be a part of it. “We’re thrilled to have such a powerful show in our space. I think people are going to get lost in the images. We could not be prouder or more ready for this.”

For one “Breaking Surface” artist, this is a trip home of sorts. Matthew David Wachsman is a lifetime resident of central Westchester. “Our opening reception in New York City last year drew over 300 people but hardly anyone made the long drive through rush hour traffic to be there. A lot of my friends are planning to see the show this time. This is a fantastic opportunity for all of us.”

Established artist Holger Eckstein, whose work, “Seascape #1” was the centerpiece of last year’s show, is happy to give a new audience the chance to see it. “My work has been in museums around the world, you know and every time I go to a new place then new people can discover it. When someone looks and then stops in their tracks I get the feeling like I am looking through the lens and seeing the image again for the first time.”


PHOTO: Breaking Surface event page on Facebook