Art And Technique Of Japanese Zen Painting Featured In New Exhibition At Roosevelt Island's Paul Calendrillo New York Art Gallery - You're Invited To Opening Reception Of Phillip Smallwood's The Art Of White Space Wednesday January 18

Roosevelt Island resident and new art gallery owner Paul Calendrillo invites you to the opening reception for artist Phillip Smallwood's The Art Of White Space exhibition

According to Mr. Calendrillo:

Philip Smallwood
The Art of White Space
January 17th 2017 to February 11th 2017
Opening Reception January 18th
6pm to 8pm
Paul Calendrillo New York Gallery
507 Main St. New York, NY 10044

Paul Calendrillo New York proudly presents the first gallery showing of Philip Smallwood's abstracts in the Sumi-e style of Zen painting. The art and technique of this Japanese Ink Painting is summarized the parable below:

A Chinese painter was once commissioned to paint the Emperor's favorite goat. The artist asked for the goat, that he might study it. After two years, the emperor, growing impatient, asked for the return of the goat; the artists obliged.

Then the Emperor asked about the painting. The artist confessed he had not yet made one, and taking an ink brush he drew eight nonchalant strokes, creating the most perfect goat in the annals of Chinese painting.

The ZEN artists believe that great economy of means is necessary to express the purity and simplicity of the eternal nature of the subject. Zen Art does not try to create the illusion of reality. It abandons true-life perspective, and works with artificial space relations that make one think beyond reality into the essence of reality. This concept of essence as opposed to illusion is basic ZEN Art in all phases.

Smallwood integrates this philosophy and technique with his incomparable skill as a watercolorist. Breaking with tradition, he abandons the horsehair brush and ink traditionally used in this work and crafts his own brushes and works in vivid watercolor. Smallwood uses great sensitivity when working in this medium without any preconceived visual content and has only one attempt to get things right. He begins with one stroke, and like Kandinsky, tunes in on every other stroke without contemplation. The length and intensity of every line are what matters. Images come from the freedom. They are born in the moment through the kinetic energy applied by the brush. Smallwood knows if it is right only after he views it.

The title of this exhibition, The Art of White Space, derives its name from the positive nature of the white space that gives birth and purpose to each line. White space is an equal player, much like in Taoist philosophy where perfection is at our first breath. The lotus petal and the art of Sumi-e serve as the backdrops for his unique approach to the genre.

Influenced by his older brother, Fredrick Smallwood, the artist developed a keen interest in visual art that developed into a second career. This artistic journey has taken him and his works across the country and abroad. Mr. Smallwood is the consummate observer, who uses his talents to give a resonance and reason to subjects and places that would normally be ignored. These images are rendered with a dignity and grace that is usually reserved for the upper echelons of society. Smallwood is the recipient of numerous accolades and awards from the most distinguished art societies and organizations nationally and internationally.

Gallery Hours:
Sunday Closed
Monday Closed
Tuesday 11:30am to 6:30pm
Wednesday 11:30am to 6:30pm
Thursday ​11:30am to 6:30pm
Friday 11:30am to 5:00pm
Saturday 11:30am to 5:00pm