At Lynne Feldman’s studio in Anderson Alley 1/1/16
At the January 1st First Friday art events in Anderson Alley, Lynne Feldman’s studio was a bright oasis cast against the inevitable darkness of a winter. Like many, I was immediately struck by Lynne’s almost completed collage homage to the Rochester Public Market.
When Lynne explained the collage is a collaborative project in conjunction with Foodlink’s plans to become a permanent presence in the Public Market, I had found a story needing to be told.
Lynne grew up on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, attending the High School of Music and Art, New York University and Columbia University for her master’s degree. Her formal art training began at age of 12 at the Art Students League where she studied drawing and painting for the next 15 years. Lynne’s paintings, prints, collages and illustrations have been exhibited in museums, galleries and public spaces throughout the country. Lynne has been a bright fixture in the Rochester art world for decades. And glad to learn she rarely misses Manhattan!
Market collage Jan 4th [Photo: Lynne Feldman]
When I moved to Rochester from New York City in 1978, the first place that I
was taken to, by the mother of a friend, was the Rochester Public Market. I
immediately felt an incredibly deep connection to the place. It was as if I
had tapped into something very ancient that we, as humans, have been doing
since we first stopped wandering the forests and plains, laid down roots
and started planting crops. But for me as an artist there was also an
aesthetic part to it.the colors and shapes, the fabulous array of vegetables
and food stuffs. It just filled my senses. So 35 years later I was inspired
to somehow try to intertwine my art with my love of the market. I created a
scale model of my plan and started showing it market officials and city
planners.market painting detail January 4
On one of my weekly market visits I noticed that Foodlink, an amazing
organization whose goal is to end hunger in our community, had an outdoor
table where a volunteer was presenting a program on the preparation of
healthy vegetables. When I later read in the paper that the market was going
to be re-building its main shed, I saw the possibility for a collaboration.
In the soon-to-be-built new market shed, Foodlink hopes to have a more
permanent indoor space where nutrition education can take place year round.
A permanent presence in the market will also help raise its profile so that
the general public will have a better understanding of the incredibly
important work that it does. This is where I want my artwork to be.Market painting detail Jan 4 vertical
The piece I am working on is 60″ x 72″ and is a fabric collage on canvas
painted with acrylic paints. The image is of a fabulously laden table with
the sort of foods that the market sells, the people who sell them and the
shoppers who buy them. I want to convey the life and spirit of the Rochester
Public market.Market painting maquette
Another public art project: Jill Gussow
Jill Gussow’s homage to the raucous crows of the South Wedge
Our previous visual contribution: Michelle Turner
