"Cast In Light : Landscape Reflections" Exhibit

Joan Benefiel and Jeremy Leichman’s brightly colored resin figures are back in Rye this fall, and this time they’re even bigger!

The Brooklyn-based couple’s works graced Purchase Street and stood in front of the Rye Arts Center in 2012 during the “Beyond Rodin” exhibition there. Their work proved popular with Rye residents and collectors.

So the couple proposed to install a new installation, opening in phases, starting September 2nd and running through Sunday, Nov.1st. They were assisted by Rye sculptor Bob Clyatt and the Rye Art Center.

“We knew the pieces worked in an urban setting, and it has been fun for us to see them playing off the park landscape features this time”, said Joan Benefiel.

A presentation was made to the Rye Town Park Commission at their July meeting. The project was approved after the commissioners reviewed the details of the proposed sculptures.

Bill Lawyer, Assistant Director For Park Development, noted that “Joan and Jeremy have come up with some creative ways to make use of our natural land forms and wildlife pond to exhibit these works.”

Rye Town Park is a 62-acre greenspace, of which 34 acres are beachfront on Long Island Sound. 28 acres are parkland with rolling hills and over 350 trees and shrubs, as well as a waterfowl pond. It was established in 1909.

A public reception and tour of the complete exhibit will be held Sunday, Oct.4th from 4 to 6 pm. in front of the Flagpole (near Seaside Johnny’s) where the artists will be present.

The works are mainly from the artists’ “Hudson River Pilings” series, which were originally conceived to become monumental-sized sculptures balancing on the tops of the old wooden pier pilings in the Hudson near Tribeca. As the couple has worked to gain funding for these works they have exhibited smaller scaled versions of them in several cities including Los Angeles and Manhattan. The first full-scale work, 12 feet high, is now complete and will be exhibited at Rye Town Park. It will be one of their six sculpture installations in the park.

Made from a translucent, synthetic polyresin, the sculptures change color and brilliance as the light changes throughout the day. The sculpture process begins with an original sculpture made of clay and plaster. A mould is formed and the artists pour a hand-tinted and UV resistant, optically clear liquid polyresin into it. The ten-foot “Reach” sculpture took 6 months to complete.

Joan and Jeremy are classically trained sculptors who met while studying at the New York Academy Art. They have been collaborating ever since and established their sculpture practice, Figuration Studio, in 2008. Both arrived at sculpture through careers in making rarified objects.

Joan worked for 15 years in bronze sculpture foundries and Jeremy is a furniture designer who has been making custom work in wood and metal for as many years.

Their practice is rooted in tradition and fully embraces the cutting edge techniques now available for sculpture production. They live and work in the celebrated arts mecca that is Bushwick, Brooklyn.

The exhibit is part of an ongoing commitment in Rye to install public art and sculpture, under the guidance of Rye Arts Center with the encouragement of Westchester Assemblywoman Catherine Parker.

“We are planning a number of installations over the next year, and are working with the non-profits, City and County to create funding for these installations” noted Bob Clyatt, a local sculptor involved in the projects.

For more information, contact Joan Benefiel and Jeremy Leichman at studio@figurationstudio.com.

Their web site is www.figurationstudio.com and their phone is (718) 418-1417

Rye Town Park’s web site is www.ryetownpark.org