New Show at Westport Library Highlights Artists Bently, Fehlinger & Krasno
Westport, CT - Three new art exhibits are currently on display at The Westport Library now through March 25: Good Bones: 60 Years of Multi-Dimensional Commentary by Nina Bentley in the Sheffer Gallery, City Sights by Susan Fehlinger in the South Gallery, and Art and Jazz by Jean Krasno in the Jesup Gallery.
A reception for the artists will take place tonight (Wednesday, February 12) from 6 to 7 pm, followed by a conversation of artistic influences, inspiration, backgrounds, and creative processes between the three and Miggs Burroughs from 7 to 8 pm.
Bentley's work is often conceptual in nature, offering poignant commentary on a wide array of social issues.Good Bones: 60 Years of Multi-Dimensional Social Commentary is a retrospective of decades of her work, composed of sculpture, prints, pen and ink, and multimedia assemblages.
“I got more and more involved in found objects as time went on,” Bentley said. “I’m a big collector. Sometimes, I will get an idea and then I’ll find the materials to make that idea work visually. Other times I will bump into something, like a whole mass of cake choppers — I once got a carton of old knives — or multiples of an interesting material. That sometimes is what starts the project. ... Part of me is crazy wild, part of me is very controlled.”
Born in Brooklyn in 1939, and raised in Great Neck, New York, Bentley attended the University of Wisconsin in Madison, where she studied fine art and graduated in 1962 with a bachelor’s degree in history. Over her 60 years as an artist, she has lived in Bologna, Frankfurt, London, Zurich, Santiago, and Caracas, and staged one-person shows in both Europe and the U.S. She has won a number of awards in regional juried shows and had her works featured in both galleries and private collections.
Bentley said she is moved by aesthetics and the complexities of the human condition, creating art that speaks to significant matters felt both personally as well as societally.
"I create art in order to gain some perspective on the world around me, while also trying to retain a sense of humor," said Bentley. "In short, my work can be seen as multi-dimensional social commentary."
Fehlinger worked for 35 years as a television producer in New York City. Yearning to paint, she left her job in 2003 and embarked on a career as an artist.
Represented by a number of galleries and solo shows, from Cape Cod to upstate New York, to Maine, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, Fehlinger and her art have traversed many different landscapes. After relocating to Bridgeport in 2014, she found inspiration in the change of scenery, translating it into her art. She works in her studio at Metro Arts in Black Rock, where she paints or teaches on a daily basis.
Fehlinger’s painting style emphasizes an interest in texture, color, and light. Her tool of choice is a palette knife, which she uses to highlight structure, form, and shadow. Her compositions play with scale, placement, and negative and positive spaces, creating visual interest and an individual style.
“I discovered the palette knife … and found that I could apply paint on a canvas quickly, thickly, and spontaneously,” Fehlinger said. “I loved the textures I could produce with the knife, and I loved no brushes to wash. I am a self-taught artist. I wanted to create a strong sense of place — a familiar but somewhat abstracted place — and then capture it when the light is just right.”
As an artist, Krasno said she is deeply inspired by the magic of jazz music, conveyed through the rich voices, poetic lyrics, and rhythmic performances of artists like Dave Brubeck, Miles Davis, and Duke Ellington.
Art and Jazz is a testament to that. The exhibit creates a sensory experience that combines her art with the music that sparked its creation, incorporating a listening component with accompanying QR codes that link to jazz songs and inviting the viewer to listen and take part in Krasno’s inspiration.
"I work to absorb this magic and tell these stories visually by combining torn paper with oil pastels, pencil, and ripped lithograph proofs from my own previous works," Krasno said. "I play with color, shapes, texture, tone, and storytelling to complement the sounds and lyrics of jazz greats in visual expression.”
Krasno’s paper collages been exhibited throughout the country and installed in many permanent collections. She also has published a number of books, including political texts such as The United Nations: Policy and Practice and Banning the Bomb: The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons; the recently published Secrets and the Disappeared: A Tale of Brazil; and the mystery novel The Train to Skeleton Coast: A Tale of Murder and the Struggle for Freedom, featuring her own artwork on the cover.
With a BFA from the University of Illinois, an MFA from Stanford University in Art with an emphasis on painting and printmaking, and a PhD in international politics from the City University of New York Graduate Center, Krasno uses her political insights to inform her creative perspectives. As a full-time, tenured lecturer in the Department of Political Science at the City College of New York, as well as a lecturer in the Department of Political Science at Columbia University, Krasno’s separate avenues of work speak to the power of one’s perspective when translated through a lens of both analytic processes and creative pursuits.
Artist Reception and Conversation: With Artists Nina Bentley, Susan Fehlinger, and Jean Krasno
Wednesday, February 12
6-8 pm
Artist Reception: https://westportlibrary.org/event/artist-reception-and-conversation-with-artists-nina-bentley-susan-fehlinger-and-jean-krasno/
Story link: https://westportlibrary.org/exploring-new-perspectives-in-the-westport-librarys-february-march-art-exhibits/
More on Nina Bentley: https://westportlibrary.org/nina-bentley-good-bones-60-years-of-multi-dimensional-social-commentary/
More on Susan Fehlinger: https://westportlibrary.org/susan-fehlinger-city-sights/
More on Jean Krasno: https://westportlibrary.org/jean-krasno-art-and-jazz/
Art at the Library homepage: https://westportlibrary.org/art-at-the-library/
About The Westport Library
Founded in 1886, built in 1908, and transformed in 2019, The Westport Library is one of the most active and innovative public libraries in the nation, devoted to enriching the intellectual and creative lives of the community. Among its many highlights are a full collection of books for children, teens, and adults; an engaging and colorful Children’s Library; a MakerSpace; a Library of Things; a Seed Library; a robust café and store; and professional art installations that rotate throughout the year. The Westport Library is also home to Verso Studios, replete with an SSL hybrid analog sound studio and broadcast control suite featuring a state-of-the-art console and six robotic cameras, and the Trefz Forum, an open, flexible space that can accommodate up to 600 patrons and features an 18-foot video wall, 35-foot stage, state-of-the-art sound, and theatrical lighting. Situated in the heart of downtown Westport overlooking the scenic Saugatuck River, The Westport Library annually hosts StoryFest, the largest literary festival in Connecticut, and VersoFest, its multi-day music and media festival. Above all, the Library strives to serve the whole community as a vibrant gathering spot where people of all ages come to seek information, gain knowledge, exchange ideas, and share experiences. For more information, visit westportlibrary.org.
Art at the Library
Westport has a rich heritage as an artists' community, which continues today with a vibrant, local arts scene. Our goal is to honor this legacy by making the arts accessible to everyone. Our three galleries of rotating exhibits provide visitors with the opportunity to experience original work by local artists. The Library's permanent art collection and ongoing arts programming further demonstrate our deep commitment to the local and regional arts community. For more, visit westportlibrary.org/art-at-the-library.