Plein Air Paintings by Abstract Expressionist Artist KEITH MANTELL

Artist Keith Mantell was raised on Long Island.  As a child and young adult he took painting lessons with many local artists who influenced his lifelong love of and career with art.  This led to an education in the arts with a B.F.A. from SUNY New Paltz and post graduate courses at The National Academy School of Fine Arts and C.W. Post College.  

The works of Keith Mantell hold all that is true to the art of Plein Air painting and Abstract Expression by capturing a moment in time and having the viewer participate in that same moment on one level and experiencing the pure joy of laying down paint in another.  These paintings can be seen as two styles joined together. The juiciness and paint strokes of the artist’s paintings evoke an “art for arts sake” spontaneous approach.

“As a contemporary realist inspired by the likes of Monet and Sargent, I use reality as a starting point and try to capture the essence of a particular scene.  Design first! Then breaking down the landscape or still life into forms and color that work together to form an interesting and cohesive composition.  Taking the natural light into consideration I then let the paint decide how it wants to flow.  That premise has roots in the abstract expressionist idea that it’s not about the image but about what the paint can convey.”  

Now living on Long Island’s East End, the natural beauty of the area has inspired a series of “En plein air” painting of local genre including vineyards, farm fields, and the coastline.  “I want to capture all of these places before we lose them.”  

Keith’s work has been widely featured in the Long Island press, including several covers of Dan’s Papers and has been exhibited in various galleries, among them the Rosalie Dimon Gallery in Jamesport, Springsteel Gallery in Greenport and Guild Hall in East Hampton.  

Chair of this exhibit is Cristina Kepner, Art Gallery committee member and Trustee of the Library.  The exhibit will be on display from March 1^st to March 26^th.