Arthur Yanoff, "Steerage to Ellis Island — Stained Steel,” 2002, acrylic on canvas, 55 13/16 by 16 inches. —Richard Roth photo
:The work of Great Barrington artist Arthur Yanoff is on view through September 6 in the Berkshire Museum's Berkshirebase Gallery as a direct complement to the ongoing exhibition, "Color and Form: The Language of Abstract Art."
Yanoff has lived in the Berkshires for more than a decade after spending 20-plus years in New Hampshire. Born and raised north of Boston, he studied at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, where he developed an appreciation for colors and acrylics.
A self-described "colorist," his work has been described as abstract and expressionist. At first glance his work confirms these labels; however his art is based upon direct observation of the subject. "I don't consider a painting realized unless I sense something of the original source woven into its fabric," said Yanoff.
The Berkshirebase Gallery is dedicated to local artists and the Berkshires. In addition to being located in the Berkshires, Berkshirebase is committed to artists whose work is directly inspired by the local area. With his eye for the color palette of western New England, the Berkshires come alive in Yanoff's work, revealing a truly distinct look at the region.
"It's the landscape," said Yanoff about the Berkshires. "The openness of the place and the enveloping light. It affects the painting."
The Berkshire Museum is downtown at 39 South Street (Route 7). For information,
www.berkshiremuseum.org
or 413-443-7171, extension 10.
