Jerry Schwabe's Watercolors On View At John Jermain Memorial Library

Color, gesture and line are important manifestations of inspiration for East Hampton artist Jerry Schwabe and he relies on them in his painting, photography and sculpture. Now through June 7, Mr. Schwabe's work will be on view in a solo exhibition at John Jermain Memorial Library (201 Main Street, Sag Harbor).

Titled Jerry Schwabe: Color, Gesture & Line,” the show includes a collection of watercolor and acrylic paintings that demonstrate the artist's ability to convey atmosphere and mood through color as well as expressive forms and lines. His art is inspired by nature and he is deeply affected by the light and colors in the natural world of the East End.

The series of paintings on view reflect Mr. Schwabe’s growing attraction to abstraction and deconstruction of the literal source of inspiration, whether expansive meadow, lapping ocean, a copse of trees, or people in conversation.

“The woods, the open fields, the water, my memories, this is what I bring back to my studio and try to capture,” says Mr. Schwabe. “Through my art, I try to let the viewer open their eyes to see more or feel more, emphasizing the beauty to allow them to perceive their experiences in a different manner.”

“I work liberally in watercolor, acrylic, photography and sculpture. Color, gesture, line and mood continue to be important to me,” Mr. Schwabe added. “In my paintings especially, I follow intuitively what’s next. My work is becoming increasingly more abstract with gesture and color combining to create compositions that are more about the emotional resonance and the memory of color rather than the literal landscape that inspired the work.”

The show is curated by Susan Blumenkrantz and features 25 to 30 paintings, predominately abstract watercolors with some larger acrylic on birch panel works

The paintings on view represent a cross-section of Mr. Schwabe’s work, with some reflecting his affinity for color while forms or expressive lines are the dominant compositional elements in others. In aggregrate, the works reveal the way the East End influences Schwabe’s abstract palette.

Jerry Schwabe’s art has been exhibited locally at Guild Hall, Long Island Museum, the Bridgehampton Historical Museum, Quogue Library and in several private galleries.

Nationally, his work has been exhibited in Florida and Colorado and is held in numerous private collections.

Schwabe studied at the National Academy School of Fine Arts, New School University, Art Students League of New York, School of Visual Arts with Bruno Licchesi, Victor D’Amico Institute, Amagansett Applied Arts and with Janet Jennings and Dennis Leri.

An opening reception for "Jerry Schwabe: Color, Gesture & Line” will be held Saturday, May 18 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the John Jermain Memorial Library, 201 Main Street, Sag Harbor. For more information, call the library at 631-725-0049.

To see more of Jerry Schwabe's art, visit jerryschwabe.com.

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