Posted on Aug 18, 2004

Space Issue #1: Italy (1977) by Sigmund Abeles

Union College's Atrium Gallery presents a show
that brings together two acclaimed artists of the same generation who share an
approach to the human figure.

The Figure Drawn: Work
on Paper by Sigmund Abeles and Philip Grausman
runs from Thursday, Sept. 9,
through Thursday, Oct. 21, in the Atrium Gallery in the Arts Building on the north side of campus.

The exhibit is free and open to the public. For more information,
call 518-388-6131. Gallery hours are daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Abeles and Grausman will give a gallery talk on Tuesday,
Oct. 5, from 2 to 3 p.m. Abeles will give a talk accompanied
by a slide show from 3:30 to 4 p.m. in Room 215 of the Arts Building. A reception for the artists will
follow in the Atrium Gallery from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.  

While both artists have a generally representational
perspective, they differ greatly in their description of the human form.
Abeles, known as a painter and printmaker, presents his images with
psychologically penetrating directness, employing bold and incisive lines and
marks that crackle with emotion. His many grants and awards include those from
the Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation, the National Institute of Arts &
Letters, and the American Jewish Committee Academic Seminar in Israel.

Figure Study (1996) by Philip Grausman

In contrast, Grausman, a master of classically refined
sculptures of people and animals, establishes linear amalgams of sheer elegance
in which the viewer meets subjects through somewhat idealized geometry. His
honors include a sculpture fellowship from the American Academy in Rome, the Ford Foundation Purchase
Award, the Tiffany Foundation Fellowship, and a grant from the National
Institute of Arts & Letters.

Despite their differences, each artist creates forms with passion,
conviction, and authority from years of seeing, reflecting, and making art. 

The exhibition is made possible through the support of Union College, its Visual Arts Department, and
the Walter C. Baker Fine Arts Endowment.