The opening reception for Dienes exhibit is on Thursday, May 17 from 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. in the Gallery Lobby at W83. All exhibitions are free and open to the community from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday. 

About the exhibit:

In his recent body of work, Jerry Dienes imagines and creates paintings as they may have been conceived by Niggle, the titular artist in J.R.R. Tolkien’s short story “Leaf By Niggle.” Dienes embodies the story and examines what it means to lose oneself in pursuit of perfection. His meticulous and vibrant paintings point towards ideals sought after but never captured. 

Dienes takes great care to bring his imagination to life through patient detailing. Each oil painting’s vivid texture and tactile realism draw us closer and closer to where imagination meets reality, yet there remains a distance between conceptualization and the brush. 

Perfection is sought but never achieved. Does the search for beauty or greatness consume us? Or can we embrace the serenity that may be found in this exploration?

About the artist:

Jerry Dienes creates classical and realistic paintings of still life, portraits, landscapes, figures, trompe l’oeils, interiors, narratives, and murals. 

Dienes trained at the Columbus College of Art & Design in Columbus, Ohio, and in 1984 came to New York to pursue classical art education and gallery representation. Taking classes at the New York Academy of Art and The Printmakers Workshop he later studied figure painting and drawing with Jacob Collins at The Water Street Atelier, as well as figure drawing with Dan Thompson, Michael Grimaldi, and Ephraim Rubenstein at the Art Student’s League. He most recently studied part-time with Justin Wood at the Grand Central Atelier.

"Niggle's Studio: Leaf Paintings" runs Thursday, May 10 through Thursday, July 5.