Renewable Futures - The cultivation and propagation of creativity rooted in the 1960s

to

Renewable Futures: The cultivation and propagation of creativity rooted in the 1960s is an exhibit of a notable group of artists who convened as teachers and students at Rochester Institute of Technology’s School of Art and Design during the decade of the 1960s. This was a time when cultural norms were shifting at a magnitude that at times seemed seismic. The arts and culture continued to break from tradition throughout the 20th C., but during that decade it was at a more rapid pace.

Art during this period was being taught in a way that encouraged the students to experiment and develop their own voice, yet there were still strong influences from teachers to students, among the students themselves, and probably from student to teacher, both in philosophy and style. Nevertheless, there continued to be a strong movement toward a more personal less objective means of expression.

Out of this learning environment, grew life-long friendships and associations that kept these artists in touch with others and their work. This exhibit explores the work of this select group of artists and their provenance as each has developed their own unique style. Yet, threads of common language can often be found between and among them as they grew out of the shared an environment of aesthetic synthesis fostered by teachers and expanded by students.

Featured artists: Kathy Calderwood, Jacques Clements, Tarrant Clements, Bob Conge, Carey Corea, Roger De Muth, Kurt Feuerherm, Paul Garland, Chuck Haas, Joe Hendrick, John Kastner, Fred Meyers, Antonio Petracca, Maruta Racenis, Luvon Sheppard, Judd Williams, Julie Williams, Ken Winebrenner.

City Newspaper review

Handrawn pen and ink illustration of artist's paint brushes in a glass canning jar
Painting of bold biomorphic forms - a green elongated, a blue bubble, a black figure eight with yellow stripes on top and bottom

Untitled, 1999, Jacques Clements

Painting of bold biomorphic forms - central blobby white circle with turquoise aura with green branch like arms surrounding and white dove forms flying above

Island Night, 1978, Jacques Clements

Pencil portrait drawing of Harry Houdini with dark eye sockets and frizzy hair that stands upright

Portrait of Harry Houdini, 1970, Bob Conge

Alter like barn red wooden box with glass cover holding a white baby form with spikes protruding from forehead posed onto of 2 antique books and hearts dangling on either side

Family Shrine, 2018, Bob Conge

Scribbly black and white abstract image of a rabbit with red ears and drippy red paws

Red Eared Rabbit, 2007, Julianna Williams

Black and white graphic print of two boxed fields side by side

Untitled, 2002, Lawrence Williams

Abstract image of patches of colors - red, yellow, blue, white that create a rectangle within a rectangle with a central circle

Untitled Mixed Media, 2014, Luvon Sheppard

Standing sculptural form on a painted cube base - a central verticle core with metal protrusions and a found driftwood branch arching over the top with a single orange.

Past, Present, Future, 2001, Luvon Sheppard

Cartoonish portrait of a girl with a purplish face, a cone nose, banana peel lips, caterpillar eyebrows and cited hairdo with a wishbone and rose stuck in.

The Bad Side of a Good Girl, circa 1990, Kathy Calderwood

Cartoonish rendering of a blue bird on its back clutching a dismembered cat paw and leg surrounded by odd objects including a piece of bacon, a lime, feathers, tulips, roses, and text - I told you so

The Know It All, circa 2000, Kathy Calderwood

A trio of wooden carved male heads with serious expressions, painted hair and glass bead eyes

Carved Heads, circa 1990, Jacques Clements

Standing carved wood sculpture of a tall and thin man in a walking stride holding a leash with one black dog and one white dog

Man Walking His Dogs, circa 2000, Jacques Clements

Abstract rendering if a palm tree with black spikes leaves on a bursting background of burnt orange and deep blue

Dark Palm, 1990, Kurt Feuerherm

Abstracted rendering of tropical foliage in hot pink on a purple, beige and blue background

Sebastian's Garden, 1990, Kurt Feuerherm

Bronze standing sculpture with four legs that support a pod-like head shape and a tall antennae like shape

Battle of the Saints, 1988, Tarrant Clements

Bronze standing sculpture with a smooth trunk like form with an arm like protrusion and swooping branch and bird form above

Cake Walk, 1987, Tarrant Clements

Print with reclining skeleton wearing a war medal with small images of soldiers and war scenes below all on a rose colored background

War Memorial

Wall hung assemblage with a ack and white polaroid photo of a man in a boat waving. Odd objects surround the photo - rubber bands, an empty frame, pencil, jack knife

F.W. Haas, Chuck Haas

Painterly portrait of bearded man with cap and plaid shirt, folded hands

Portrait 'Steve Cerio', Roger DeMuth

Painterly portrait of bearded man with cap and casual work jacket

Portrait 'Jude Ferencz', Roger Demote

Abstracted image with underlying grid at top - white textural encaustic patterned surface with peaks of color

Angels in the Mist, Carey Corea

Abstracted image with underlying grid - orange and green textural encaustic patterned surface with peaks of color

Lazarus, Carey Corea

Line drawing illustration of a boy stuck inside a computer screen surrounded by wildlife, flora and fauna

John Kastner

Color illustration of a man clutching a TV remote, seated in a lounge chair in front of a TV screen all on top of planet Earth that is shooting through space with streams of fire and smoke

Whuts Up With Dis Remote, John Kastner

Color print of there male figures standing together in a blotchy background

Three Graces, 1972, Antonio Petracca

Image of man with long hair, head tilted to the left as if in midst singing in a rock concert

It's Only Rock n Roll, 1983, Antonio Petracca

Horizontal rectangular field of color block of green and yellow  with red dots and a yellow and orange composition on the right

Something Surprising, 2004, Paul Garland

Vertical color composition of color blocks with a triple-field on top, central red band in center and white bottom third.

SO, 2012, Paul Garland