(HILLSDALE, N.Y.) – Oil paintings by Bob Crimi and custom-made furniture by Joel Mark are on display through June 2, 2013, at Neumann Fine Art in Hillsdale, the gallery’s second group show.

The paintings of Bob Crimi reflect his joy in the act of painting. Crimi’s work offers the viewer a window into a meditation. His canvases breathe with shifting passages of bold saturated color dissolving into ephemeral veils of subtle calm. Crimi’s visceral approach to painting is perhaps best illuminated in the artist’s own words:

“Intuition is our built-in GPS system. It always does us well. I go to it when I pick up a brush; like Zen and archery, keeping the intellect out of it, becoming the bow and arrow and, similarly, becoming the brush.”

Crimi’s work is influenced by the great jazz bebop players he used to go hear in clubs in New York City in the 1950s and 1960s. Like those legendary improvisers, Crimi says, “I let the style come out of the moment. It’s important for me to pay attention to what the colors are saying, to be intuitive with them and try not to bend them to my will or squeeze them into a formula. It’s keeping my ego out of the process that’s the real challenge. The process is mainly one of revelation.”

Joel Mark makes furniture that asks to be touched. His sophisticated design sense makes his pieces a treat for the eyes as well as the hands and body. Superbly crafted from both local and exotic woods, the marriage of form and function in his museum-quality furniture is one that is sure to endure for generations. The look is both contemporary and classic.

Aside from the impeccable workmanship in Mark’s furniture, his designs are original and one-of-a-kind, insuring the owner of each piece that it cannot be had elsewhere. With elements of Modern Scandinavian and Art Deco influences, each signed and dated piece is an expression of the artisan’s personal style. The owner of a Joel Mark piece of furniture is rewarded with meticulously crafted elegance that makes the comfort of home an artistic statement.

In 1977 Joel founded Joel Mark Cabinetmakers, Inc., a custom architectural woodworking company located in Brooklyn, N.Y.  For the following 28 years he  worked primarily in the highly competitive New York City metropolitan area.  During this time, he worked with many of the area’s prominent architects and designers, particularly in the realm of residential interiors, corporate executive offices and showrooms.  About 15 years ago, he moved to Hillsdale.

Neumann Fine Art is located at 65 Coldwater St., Hillsdale, N.Y. The exhibition runs from April 13th – June 2nd. Gallery hours are 11 – 4 Thursday – Sunday and by appointment. Tel: 413-246-5776