ART FROM DETRITUS: RECYCLING WITH IMAGINATION

PO Box 1149 NY NY 10013-0866 TEL: 212 925 4419

email:ncognita@earthfire.org website:www.ncognita.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

contact: 212 925 4419 An Exhibition of Art to Save the Planet

“more ART FROM DETRITUS:Recycling with Imagination”

Curated by Vernita Nemec aka Vernita N’Cognita PLEASE LIST

Wall Gallery, John Jay College of Criminal Justice

445 West 59^th St & 10^th Av, New York, New York

(take “A”, “C” or 1/9 subway to 59^th St/Columbus Circle & walk west 2 blocks or M11 bus up 10^th Av to 59th)

April 28 to May 27, 2003

Opening reception Thursday, May 1, 5-7PM

Juan Carlos Arin * Andrew Bailis * Beth Bailis * Fran Beallor * Jean Betancourt * Marcia Bernstein Stephanie Rose Bird * Richard Brachman * Marlene Bremer * Ursula Clark * Angela Davies

d’Ann de Simone * May de Viney * Kiffi Diamond * FlashLight * Fred Gutzeit * Rima Grad * Paul Greco

Cathy Hunter * Mary Frances Judge * Kathleen King * Diane Kurzyna * L Brandon Krall *

Olivia Koopalethes * Garry Noland * Susan Newmark * James Nova * Stuart Nicholson

Kurt Novak Michael Poast * Susana Reisman * Sura Ruth * Barbara K Schwartz

Naz Shahrokh * Katherine E Smith * Susanna Stefanachi * Stephen S’Soreff * Helaine Soller

Shirley Smith * Marilyn Sontag * Miriam Schaer * Marjie Zelman & others

For New Yorkers recycling is a particularly important issue because of the limited recycling currently available. But, will promises be kept? Last year, NYC’s Mayor Bloomberg eliminated the recycling of glass & plastic but now, after not saving as much $ as hoped, he promises to re-instate the recycling of plastic & glass, July 1, 2003.

“Art From Detritus: Recycling With Imagination”, brings attention to this critical urban issue. This important exhibit of art of recycled materials is coming to John Jay College for the third consecutive year. More than 30 artists across the US including many from the New York City area were selected for the show, curated and conceived by Vernita Nemec aka Vernita N’Cognita. “Art From Detritus” will be on view from April 28^th to May 27^th with an opening reception on Thursday May 1, 5-7pm. Artists in this exhibit have taken fragments of discarded, found and recycled materials and creatively transformed them into painting, collage, sculpture and assemblage.

The Detritus exhibits initially were inspired in 1993 when N’Cognita attended her first Recycling Conference. She proceeded to curate the first Detritus exhibit in Portland, Oregon in 1994, and since then nearly a dozen Detritus exhibits have been presented throughout the U.S. and New York City. This is the third year that John Jay College has presented this important exhibit of Art from trash.

Since the beginning of time, artists have been creating art from the “detritus of life” -- for a host of reasons: the inherent beauty and accessibility of old and discarded artifacts, their spiritual significance and the cheapness of trash. Contemporary artists are also attracted to trash for political, financial or purely aesthetic reasons. By using society’s wastes as valid materials for their art, artists have given discarded substances new meaning. By using the abundant media of garbage to make their statement, these artists are using the power of their art to creatively communicate the importance of recycling to everyone who consumes & discards. Again, the importance and power of art is re-affirmed.

The “Art from Detritus” curator and founder’s intention is to re-enforce in our minds the value of recycled materials and garbage, and the value of creating uses for it. N’Cognita aka Vernita Nemec says “Making art from trash is the ultimate level of recycling & reusing, for by using trash to make ART, we give both art and trash new meaning”.

Clifford Case, Founder of the National Recycling Coalition in D.C., has said, “The power of art is that it changes our perceptions of reality, making us see things with new eyes. It is particularly appropriate to welcome a show of art works made from reclaimed materials… because we as recyclers need this transforming power of art.” Dr. Jan Beyea, former Chief Scientist at the National Audubon Society in NYC and deeply involved with recycling says, “This exhibition is an important merging of artists and environmentalists, stimulating new ways to communicate the message of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.”

Catalogs from past exhibits are available and provide a rich documentation of artists’ statements and images.

For further information, please contact the curator at 212 925 4419 or at ncognita@earthfire.org and check out the website to see last year’s Art from Detritus exhibition: www.ncognita.com

These sites were made [at the last minute] for the DETRITUS Shows by

MEDIA_s_TRIANGLE _contact lbvk@mediatriangle.com