INTERNATIONALLY recognizedpainter and screen maker Jane Goldman isdisplaying for the first time in Costa Ricaan impressive collection of her works. Theselection of art will be exhibited throughFeb. 28 at the Sophia Wanamaker Galleryin the North American-Costa RicanCultural Center (CCCN) in San Pedro, eastof San José. Included in the exhibit is anice range of works in different mediumsdepicting “lyrical realism,” the style thathas made Goldman unique and celebrated.Her resume and body of work combineto make an impressive history of a remarkableartist. Co-owner and director of MixitPrint Studio in Somerville, Massachusetts,she is experienced in a wide range ofmedia, and has taught at the MassachusettsCollege of Art, the University of Californiaat Los Angeles, Rice University andHartford Art School. The artist hasreceived numerous grants, awards and fellowships,and has work included in permanentcollections from Cleveland to Paris.Private galleries have held solo exhibits ofher work in New York, Boston, Washington,D.C., Dallas and Seattle.Goldman’s works have been executedin watercolor, oil, intaglio, lithographs,relief, screen-print, vitreographs, hand-coloredmonoprints and terrazzo. On display,we see the richness in variety of styles andprocesses.Although screen-prints, lithographsand intaglios are widely regarded as difficultmediums with which to render exactness,we see through this selection an artistwho has mastered these processes. Manyof the works now on display cause theviewer to do double takes, trying to distinguishreality from color and light.The compositions are an excitingassortment of the flowing and abstract,with emphasis on exacting natural form.The play created with stillness, flatnessand space engages the viewer in the artist’sappreciation of sunlight, flowers and windows– general themes in the collection.“My imagery is rooted in the world offlora, fauna, weather and water,” Goldmansays. “Since 1993 I’ve been painting largescalewatercolors of Atlantic Ocean tidalpools in Ireland. I focus on the drama at thewater’s edge, where the varieties of shapeand texture and color provide a rich tapestryof natural events.”Recreate the drama is exactly what theartist does, in explosions of blue and theoccasional play of light with yellows,greens and reds. The Tidal Pool collectionevokes the lyrical realism that has becomeGoldman’s trademark style. These largeformatworks are grand in scale and detail.With dark cast on light and the pale stackedon the obscure, we see movement and layeredperspective that is quintessential ofthe artist’s talent for evoking sensations ofstillness and movement.Lyrical realism is a combination of freestyle and the artist’s version of nature byobservation. Studying the abundance ofchanges in tone, intensity and focal points,it’s easy to see how the term has been usedto describe Goldman’s work.Of her more celebrated accomplishmentsis a two-part, aquatic-themed floordesign, measuring more than 60,000square feet, at Boston’s Logan InternationalAirport. Completed in 2002, theproject is New England’s largest piece ofcommissioned artwork. The giant masterpiecewas done in terrazzo: a mosaic-likepattern made of marble pieces embeddedin a concrete foundation. Recently, Goldmanwas asked to collaborate with CostaRican artists to install a design at PuntaIslita’s airport. This should turn out to be alovely work of art, as the subjects are to beGuanacaste’s native butterflies.Goldman’s exhibit pays homage to thenatural events and scenes that inspire herwork. It can be viewed Monday throughSaturday, 8 a.m.-8 p.m., at the SophiaWanamaker Gallery in Barrio Dent, 150meters north of Los Yoses Gas Station.Admission is free. Call 207-7554.
Today in Costa Rica
