Mary Ann Malkine and Renee Zhang.
Renee Zhang’s Banana Leaves
There’s a restful quality to the chiaroscuro of Renee Zhang’s 8 inch by 6 inch linoleum block print Banana Leaves, chosen by The Woodstock School of Art as its 2019 Annual Print. Despite the graphic stillness of the image, one senses wind in the darkness, quieted before a storm. It fits the times, now, but also demonstrates the acumen of a singular new talent.
“Banana Trees is my first printmaking work based on an Asian subject. Although I started studying printmaking at the Woodstock School of Art almost 20 years ago, Asia somehow never made it into my previous prints,” says the daughter of WSA teacher and renowned Woodstock-based artist Hongnian Zhang, who like her father was born in Beijing. “This linocut features the banana trees we see almost every year in the tropical south of Taiwan, where my husband’s family grow their own vegetable and fruit gardens. We printed the edition on Asian mulberry paper, which is slightly textured and adds to the organic and flowing quality of the piece.”
The WSA has produced an Annual Print every year since 1980 as part of its fundraising. This is the first year the presentation of the annual print —– which was created by Zhang’s father 17 years ago — will be celebrated with an artist’s reception…at 3 p.m. Saturday, March 2 in the Robert H, Angeloch Studio at the School’s handsome campus off Route 212 to the east of Woodstock.
“As exceptional local artists always create our Annual Print, we expect to make this reception an ongoing annual event.” said executive director WSA Nina Doyle.
The print, limited to an edition of 85, will be given to contributors of $125 or more to WSA.
For more information, call 679-2388, see woodstockschoolofart.org, or visit the school at 2470 Route 212 just east of Woodstock’s gateway.