September 2011

Franklin G. Burroughs-Simeon B. Chapin Art Museum in Myrtle Beach, SC, Features Works by Brian Rutenberg

The Franklin G. Burroughs-Simeon B. Chapin Art Museum in Myrtle Beach, SC, will present the exhibit, Brimming Tide: Paintings and Drawings by Brian Rutenberg, on view from Sept. 16 through Jan. 3, 2012.

Rutenberg’s paintings are known for brilliant, multilayered surfaces, that give the effect of a mass of crushed jewels, and reflect his passion for the works of Renaissance masters of Europe. But the roots of his art are in South Carolina’s Lowcountry, and the Myrtle Beach native son returns this fall with an exhibition at the Franklin G. Burroughs-Simeon B. Chapin Art Museum. The exhibition, sponsored by The Bellamy Law Firm, comprises 30 oil paintings and drawings representing a span of work from 1998 to 2011.

As a young and aspiring painter, Rutenberg sought to capture a unique representation of the landscape through abstraction. Drawn from his childhood growing up along the South Carolina coast, his early memories continue to be a presence in his painting. Inspired by artists like Gregory Amenoff, Joan Mitchell and Hans Hofmann, Rutenberg executes paintings that embrace spirituality, fascination with color and an obvious love of paint. Although nature continues to be the major theme in his paintings, each of his works presents a fresh a brand new approach and vision.

Following his formal education at the College of Charleston and in the MFA program at the School of Visual Arts in New York, Rutenberg studied in Rome, Bologna and Venice, Italy; in Canada, and in Ireland, where he found additional inspiration in Celtic culture.

Rutenberg’s work places emphasis on surface and material. He is known for his liberal use of oil paint, which is sometimes built up in layers up to three inches thick.

Since 1985, Rutenberg has been honored with over 100 gallery and museum exhibitions across the United States, including a retrospective in 2006 at the South Carolina State Museum in Columbia. His work is displayed in many prestigious public collections, among them the Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, Ohio; the Gibbes Museum of Art, Charleston, South Carolina; the Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, Connecticut; and the Morris Museum of Art, Augusta, Georgia.

Rutenberg will present a lecture on his work on Friday, Sept. 16, 2011, from 10:30am-noon. Cost for the talk is $10; seating is limited so reservations are encouraged. Rutenberg’s 164-page book containing 85 color illustrations will be available for purchase and signing that day and will be sold throughout the exhibition.

For further info check our SC Institutional Gallery listings, call 843/238-2510 or visit (www.MyrtleBeachArtMuseum.org).

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