The Bruce S. Kershner Gallery in the Fairfield Library will show “Winners of Art Now 2007” from July 20 to September 7 with a reception on August 2 from 5 to 7 p.m. The artists, Tom Brenner, Arthur Burke, and Kevin Conklin will discuss their work on August 6 from 5 to 6 p.m.  1080 Old Post Road. 256-3155.

Tom Brenner

Tom Brenner’s work in various media has been exhibited widely and received numerous awards. He is known for his work in pastels and oils that are close and intimate portrayals of people from around the world. He has taught drawing, painting, pastel, and design for over twenty years for many institutions including the Silvermine School of Art. Brenner has spent most of his life in the Northeast and is a graduate of Yale University. He subsequently studied at the Art Center School of Design

Artist's Statement

I have two goals in the creation of my art, the visual and the spiritual.

As realistic as my art may appear to the viewer, for me, each piece is formally abstract. The objective observation of the material world guides me in the creative process. The classic elements of design - shape, form, contrast, color - which are necessarily the components of a work of art, are likewise the essence of our visual experience of the actual, physical world.

The intellectual associations, the conclusions, the meanings we assign to that which we see, have no place for me in the act of creating a painting. Subject matter must not be the basis or purpose for a work of art. I do not wish to depict, nor to tell a story. The imagery in my work provides a premise for me to compose, to balance, to create space and atmosphere, to model form.

How then, does a spiritual component arise? When the artist’s identification with the visual experience reaches a pitch of Zen clarity, two spiritual sources may manifest themselves. First there is the inherent spirituality in nature, and in all living things, which may be magically captured and conveyed through the purely abstract manipulation of paint. Second, when the energy in making a painting attains a complete, austere purity, the painting itself becomes a living record of the creative act, a near mystical transcription of the artist’s own spirit.

Arthur Burke

Arthur Burke has always been fascinated by boxes. Well known for his boxed assemblages, many of which are interactive, Burke has shown widely. He has always collected old and discarded objects, even through his successful previous career in interior design. He is rewarded when he is able to find new life for these objects in one of his assemblages, and is rewarded when people are delighted with his work. Burke was trained at the Pratt Institute of New York and is a member of the Silvermine Guild.

Artist's Statement

After a most successful and satisfying career in the field of interior Design, I began creating boxed assemblages. I have always been fascinated with boxes designed for a specific purpose. Over the years I have been intrigued by the work created by artist Joseph Cornell.

I began collecting a variety of old, discarded objects, not knowing exactly what I would do with them. As a child, I collected bottle tops with pictures, bird feathers and stamps. And, here I am, still collecting. I derive great pleasure from finding these abandoned objects and creating a second life for them.

People seem to be genuinely delighted with my work. They enjoy the themes I have created in each box and are further drawn into hands on participation and interaction with the kinetic movement.

The rewards of being a boxist have further encouraged my interest in exploring new avenues of this wonderful process.

Kevin Conklin

A native of Connecticut, Kevin Conklin has received great acclaim and numerous awards for his landscapes and cityscapes. He had a successful career as an illustrator, working for such companies as AMEX, B.B.D.&O. and Citicorp before turning to fine art. Abstract patterns influence Conklin – how light hits and affects objects, cast shadows and shape relationships. He received his art training at the Pair College of Art and the Massachusetts College of Art.

  Artist's Statement

A native of Connecticut, Kevin has received great acclaim and numerous awards for his landscapes and cityscapes.

He started his education attending a four year program at Paier College of Art, followed by two years at Massachusetts College of Art. Upon moving back to Connecticut, he started a successful illustration career working with numerous advertising, corporate and editorial clients, such as AMEX, B.B.D.& O., Citicorp, Continental grain, Direct Marketing of America, Duracell, Field and Stream, General Electric, Golf Digest, Inc. Magazine, The Hartford, Nautica, Save the Children, SNET, Snow Country, Stolt Nielson, Tennis Magazine, Wise & Young and many more. After years in illustrating, Kevin found himself inspired to create fine art.

Abstract patterns influence him… how light hits and affects objects, the cast of shadows and the unison of shape relationships…the essence that is found both in nature and in the city. Using a combination of oil and pastel Kevin has a spiritual connection, which is reflected in his work.