Baltimore Woods hosts work of artist Dan Bacich
Imagine the satisfying rustle as you walk through a pile of leaves or the compelling desire to pick up and examine each most beautiful one. The upcoming exhibit at Baltimore Woods Nature Center is guaranteed to awaken the memory of these autumnal joys.
From now through Oct. 27, “leaves upon leaves”, an exhibit of acrylic paintings by Dan Bacich will be on display in the Art Gallery of the John A. Weeks Interpretive Center at 4007 Bishop Hill Road, Marcellus.
In addition, the show will be available for viewing on Monday through Friday, 9 to 4 p.m. and Saturdays, 10 to 4 p.m.
There are no admission or parking fees, and all art work will be for sale.
When first viewed, Bacich’s realistic paintings of leaves are surprising due to their large size, with each leaf within a bed of leaves magnified many times, bringing the viewer close up and forcing him or her to take notice of nature’s offerings.
This kind of appreciation comes more easily to children with their proximity to the ground, their naivete’ and their inclinations to explore and play.
For adults however, the busy-ness and repetitive nature of life may interfere, and so these same wonders may go unnoticed or even be forgotten.
The “leaves upon leaves” exhibit inspires the viewer, young or old, to recall experiences from the past and enjoy more fully that which surrounds them in the present: a walk in the woods, the discovery of vivid color in a single leaf, the unique fragrance of a pile of leaves and the joy of playing in that same pile.
“Bacich’s detailed paintings may serve beautifully as botanical illustrations with seasonal appeal,” Gallery Coordinator Karen Jean Smith, said. “but they are also explorations of the relationships of color, shape, and pattern. The compact arrangement of objects within a defined space is an idea that the artist finds compelling, and his interpretations of leaves painted as we would find them on the forest floor but confined within a square or rectangle, give us an opportunity to concentrate on both subject and composition.”
There are underlying messages in the paintings that are important to Bacich, although he often prefers to leave the interpretation up to the viewer. In the painting, “Autumn Semaphore”, we see the brightest leaves lying upon those with more muted color, and dried brown leaves provide the contrasting background.
A stem of oak leaves provides the allusion to semaphores, i.e. flags used for signaling, and in this case it is the late fall season that is announced.
“Leaves, like fresh cut flowers, are potent symbols of the inevitable dissolution of all things,” Bacich said “The truth is, all things come to an end simply to begin again. . . I believe change causes beauty because change entails both beginnings and endings.”
Bacich was born in Syracuse in 1959 and educated at Harvard University.
He returned to upstate New York in 1997 to care for his mother and younger sister, both of whom are in wheelchairs.
His artistic endeavors date from this homecoming.
His paintings and assemblages have been featured widely at local galleries and museums. Most recently his artwork has been acquired by the Munson Williams Proctor Arts Institute for their permanent contemporary art collection.
For more information please visit his website:autumnleavesart.com.
