South Brunswick exhibit has artwork on the menu
'Food Glorious Food' features paintings, photography, calligraphy
BY CHRIS MURINO Staff Writer
People gather around a gorgeous photograph of a fruit stand. The colors of the fruits and vegetables shine brightly off the frame and the people comment on how pretty it looks.

"New York Butcher Shop Window"

"Food Glorious Food" is the theme of the new art exhibit at The Gallery in the South BrunswickMunicipal Building that opened recently and will be shown until June 27.Ameet and greet with the artists was held on April 8.

"I love food," said Sandy Behrend, South Brunswick, who had two pieces at the exhibit. "There's something about the color of food, the rhythm of food."

"We can't do without it," said Bob Iola, South Brunswick, another exhibiting artist. "It's right up there with water."

Twenty-two works were there, all featuring food, all in a variety of different forms. There was oil, watercolor, colored pencil, pastel, palette knife, photography and calligraphy. Some were humorous, some were serious. Some were simple, some were complicated. All could make someone hungry.

Many people enjoyed the colorful nature of the exhibit.

"Boy With Turkey Leg"

"There are a lot of bright colors," Iola said.

"It's nice because this exhibit is very cheerful," said Nancy Dunn, an exhibited artist. "It's not heavy and about people dying. It's light, cheerful and has color."

There was also photography featured in the exhibit.

Lesley Givens, who currently has an exhibit at the South Brunswick Senior Center, had two pieces at the show. One was a photograph of four ducks hanging in a row at an Asian market in Franklin Park.

"I liked the rhythm of the ducks hanging up," Givens said.

"I love anything with repetition," Behrend said about the photograph.

Gwen Lentz, of Somerset, also had a photograph of a stand at Suydam Farm in Franklin filled to the brim with fruits and vegetables.

"It was the height of summer with everything in abundance," Lentz said. "It came out better than reality. It just must be the angle. I don't remember that much food being on the table. It's one of those things. You can take 1,000 pictures and only one is good."

"Locally Grown-Heirloom Tomatoes"

Her husband Sid's submission, of their son gnawing on an enormous turkey leg on Thanksgiving, was also featured in the exhibit.

There were also many still-life drawings that were shown. One, by Iola, was done at Sansone's Farm in Hillsborough.

"It was the only farm that really grows heirloom tomatoes," Iola said. "It looked so wonderful. I like it not to be perfect, with the scars on it."

Iola graduated from the High School of Industrial Art and then studied painting at Pratt Institute. He eventually started a career in advertising, in which he designed ads and logos for clients. He even designed the logo for South Brunswick Township. Since retiring, he has focused entirely on painting.

"I've been drawing since I was three," he said. "My mom always says that she would put me in a high-chair with a crayon and I wouldn't bother her all day."

One of Behrend's paintings, in pastel, was also of heirloom tomatoes. Her other was a drawing of corn.

"I love the angular leaves," she said. "There are so many textures to corn."

One of the more talked about pieces was by Don Bloom of East Brunswick. He used a palette knife to complete his drawing: the window into a butcher shop in NewYork City on NinthAvenue. It was actually done in the 1950s and won 2nd place at a regional festival in 1955.

"It was based on a drawing I did of the window, done with pencil," Bloom said.

Bloom taught art for many years, but retired sixteen years ago. He currently teaches a weekly class at the East Brunswick Senior Center.

There was even some calligraphy featured in Fran Nimeck's piece, "Pygges." It featured calligraphy written out, forming the body of a stuffed pig. Nimeck taught calligraphy for many years.

"I love words and I love the shape of type," Nimeck said.

Jeffrey Kesper was the juror for the exhibit.

"My hope is that the audience viewing the selected pieces in this show experiences a feast for the eyes," he said in a press release. "Food is a memory shared by all people."