River Paintings by Henry Ekman Klein on Display at Berkshire Museum

Now a Small Flood Plain with Grass, Henry Ekman Klein

Now a Small Flood Plain with Grass, Henry Ekman Klein

(PITTSFIELD, Mass.) – River Paintings, an exhibition of innovative en plein air paintings by Berkshire-based artist Henry Ekman Klein is on display now through June 30, 2013, at Berkshire Museum. The paintings focus on nature and the evolving landscape, expressed in exuberant brushstrokes and a rich, saturated palette. The exhibit is located in the Ellen Crane Memorial Room.

“I give my audience the ringside seat, viewing stories about the characters: Rocks, Water, Gravity,” says Klein. He employs an innovative en plein air technique in his work, producing real-size views of the terrain in a one-to-one ratio. The artist paints the same area, a brook in the woods near his north Berkshire County home, over and over, establishing an intimacy with both the subtle and significant changes that occur over time and with the seasons.

A conservation technician at the Williamstown Art Conservation Center, Klein is used to detail work, which translates to his paintings and the intimacy with which he portrays objects in nature. A graduate of Northwestern Connecticut Community College, Klein came to the area in 1991 for a residency at the Contemporary Artists Center in North Adams. He started out by making abstract paintings, but he found himself drawn to the outdoors and the New England landscape. His paintings in the Crane Room reflect his fascination with the processes of nature that surround us every day.

Klein, who lives in Adams with his wife and daughter, is a recipient of the Frederic Remington Award for excellence in studio art. His work has been widely shown at many galleries in the Berkshires, including the Harrison Gallery, Gallery 51, Carrie Haddad Gallery, and the Plum Gallery; in a solo show at the Springfield Museums; and at galleries in Northampton, New Haven, Troy, and New York City.

Located in downtown Pittsfield, Massachusetts, at 39 South St., Berkshire Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, visit Berkshire Museum or call 413.443.7171.

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