BELL KOBLENTZ: GLOWING VISUAL ABSTRACTIONS

The Art Alliance of Monmouth County will present the work of Belle Koblentz in their windows for the month of March. Koblentz’s abstract prints were originally photographs shot from nature but now have been transformed. Their original identities are buried in layers of pixel information. The ostensibly alchemetric process begins by digitally extruding the image, manipulating colors, and altering the image with tools and filters from Photoshop. What appears is an enigmatic image, comprised of rectangular forms and a spectrum of color. These forms seemingly push off the flat surface creating uncanny, preternatural environments. Information contained in the original photo is still there, just manipulated, layered, and abstracted to the point that it is no longer recognizable. The pieces in this show were all completed in the last two years when her photographic work took a significant shift.
Long before transitioning to digital art, Koblentz was an acrylic painter concentrating on color theory following graduation from college. She graduated summa cum laude with a BA in Visual Art and an MA in Humanities with a degree in Aesthetics from the University of Texas at Dallas. In the early ’80’s she moved back to NJ and then to Monmouth County in 1990. Koblentz’s paintings were large geometric compositions with an effect of layers of transparencies through subtle changes in hues. With the advent of personal computers and digital cameras, she was able to transfer her painter’s perspective and vocabulary of color and design to photography, post-production techniques, and ultimately, digital art – where she has experimented with the images for over 15 years.

In the main gallery space Koblentz will jury work on the themes At Home and Cool and Hot.

An Artists’ Reception will be held Saturday, March 1st from 6-8 PM. The public is invited to attend. The exhibition is on view until April 2nd, Tuesday – Saturday, 12-4 PM. Free of charge. Art Alliance of Monmouth County, 33 Monmouth Street, Red Bank, NJ

For more information about the exhibit, visit our website www.artallianceofmonmouth.org, or visit or call the gallery during operating hours, (732) 842-9403. Founded in 1978, the Art Alliance of Monmouth County is dedicated to promoting the advancement of the visual arts and providing exhibition, studio, and classroom space to local artists. New members are always welcome.

Membership in the Art Alliance is open to visual artists at any skill level and to art lovers. Membership fee is $40 per year, $25 for students with id. Benefits of membership include reduced entry fee for all exhibits ($5 per piece for up to 3 pieces for members; $10 per piece for non-members); affordable studio space; diverse classes and workshops; networking opportunities; the possibility of mounting an independent exhibit during the summer. In addition, the Art Alliance maintains a website, a bi-monthly newsletter, and a Facebook page.

Programming at the Art Alliance is made possible in part by Monmouth Arts through funding from the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders, and the New Jersey State Council on the arts.