FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jane Nodine, Gallery Director
Mark Flowers, Gallery Coordinator
University of South Carolina Upstate
Visual Arts Center 125
800 University Way
Spartanburg, SC 29303
P: 864-503-5848
jnodine@uscupstate.edu
UPSTATE Gallery on Main presents “ENGULFED,” a selection of contemplative and reductivist paintings by prominent
New Orleans artist, Peter Barnitz. The
exhibition opens January 10 and runs through March 4, 2017. An artist’s reception will be held on January
19 from 5–8 pm.
Inspired by both dance and the intricate
choreography of sports, Barnitz creates visually complex, deeply meditative
abstractions that combine the notion of movement with an appreciation of the
schematic. Delicately rendered, utilizing interwoven and playful geometric
clusters, Barnitz’s paintings emphasize the passage of time, the mesh of nature and the poise of the human spirit.
"The patterns and forms created are not only a
symbol of hard work and determination, but a celebration of life, art of the
human hand, and exploration up close or from afar, where the process of creation collides with a
spiritual and meditative goal,” Barnitz said. “I use repetition of lines and shapes to
create what I regard as a peaceful gathering of energy. These patterns can be
freely interpreted as the co-dependency between everything in existence, which
contributes to the changing balance of life."
Peter Barnitz, originally of Metairie, Louisiana,
earned his BFA from Loyola University and MFA from the University of New
Orleans. Barnitz is the founder of Barnitz Academy of Fine Arts, art director
and artist-in-residence at Kenner Discovery Health and Sciences Academy, and chairman
of the Kenner Rivertown Arts Council. His work has been exhibited nationally
and internationally in more than 40 solo and group shows, including the 2016
Art Fields Exhibition in Lake City, SC, and the 2015 Exposure Nature Collection
Exhibition at the Musee du Louvre, in Paris, France.
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The Upstate Gallery on Main is the newest
addition of the Upstate Carolina University’s three gallery spaces and is located
at 172 E. Main Street in Spartanburg. It is a dedicated art space that houses
and displays the University’s permanent art collection including works by Andy
Warhol, Jerry Uelsmann, Jack Tworkov, and Beatrice Riese.
Along with permanent collection work the gallery presents a rotating schedule
of regional and national artists’ work. The gallery is primarily run by
students as part of an on going internship program where they learn how to
display, research, and promote the work on exhibit in the gallery. The gallery
is open to the public five days a week (Tuesday-Saturday) from 12 noon until 5
pm. More about the UGoM can be found on its Facebook page, UPSTATE Gallery on Main,
or by calling Jane Nodine, Gallery Director at (864)-503-5848.
