Press Release

There and Not There: Rust Portraits by Esther Solondz

Tuesday, March 09, 2010

April 10 - June 6, 2010
Newport Art Museum

NEWPORT, RI: Providence artist Esther Solondz used steel wool, iron filings, salt and water applied to cotton paper to create the heads featured in an upcoming exhibition at the Newport Art Museum. "There and Not There: Rust Portraits by Esther Solondz" opens on April 10 and runs through June 6, 2010. The Museum will host a reception for its spring exhibitions on Friday, April 9 from 5 - 7 pm, 76 Bellevue Avenue, Newport, RI. The reception is free for Newport Art Museum members, $10 for non-members.

Solondz cultivates her astonishing rust portraits as she would a seed garden, mixing the right combination of materials with water, preparing the surface and then settling back to wait for images to germinate. "I like to think that the figures literally emerge from the rust.the image grows by itself," says the artist.

She begins with an under-drawing, then traces the lines with iron. Applying salt and water facilitates the oxidization or rusting process. Solondz says, "Although the process is very simple, I find that altering tiny aspects of the procedure has dramatically different outcomes. Rust, which is usually seen as something that breaks down material, here builds up to leave a beautiful image. "

Solondz studied photography and film at college, but most of her work over the last decade has been about the constant transformation that simple materials like soap, mud, seeds, salt and iron undergo. "All of these materials make miraculous transformations as they change from one state to another, such as when they dissolve, or solidify, or grow, or when they interact with other materials. I like the idea of taking organic materials and seeing what will happen to them."

Most of Solondz's rust heads are based on old photographs of anonymous people. The art works in "Rust Portraits" are titled with people's names, but in fact Solondz took inspiration from her passion for gardening and titled the heads after various rose varieties.

More about Esther Solondz: Esther Solondz lives and works in Providence, Rhode Island. She received an MFA in Photography from the Rhode Island School of Design and did graduate work in film at New York University. She has been the recipient of several grants and awards, including three Rhode Island Arts Council fellowships (Photo 1981, Painting 1996, Sculpture 2002) and a New England Foundation for the Arts regional National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in Painting in 1992. Her work appears in the collections of The Harvard University Art Museum, at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), and at De Cordova Museum and Sculpture Park in Lincoln, MA. She shows regularly at the Gallery NAGA in Boston. Solondz's work has been widely exhibited and reviewed over the last 20 years throughout the Northeast.

About the Newport Art Museum: The Newport Art Museum's collections and exhibitions focus on the visual artists of Newport and southeastern New England, reflecting both the rich heritage of the past and the lively art scene of the present. The Museum also offers art classes and camps, concerts, talks, trips, and special events throughout the year. The Newport Art Museum is fully accredited by the American Association of Museums and receives support from the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts. The Newport Art Museum is situated in Newport's Old Quarter at 76 Bellevue Avenue, Newport, Rhode Island. Admission: $10 adults; $8 seniors; $6 Military and students with valid ID; Museum members and children under 5: no charge. By donation Saturday from 10 am to noon. Hours: Tuesday - Saturday 10 am - 4 pm, Sun 12 - 4 pm. Beginning May 1, the Museum will be open until 5 pm. Open most major holiday Mondays. Check website for details. To learn more visit www.NewportArtMuseum.org or call (401) 848-8200.

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