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about

Kalfus Studios-Maj and Lonny Kalfus
Drawings and Paintings by Maj Kalfus
Artist Statement

“The way to be universal is to be individual,”
WH Auden

My work is diverse in subject matter, technique and materials. I am often drawn to a subject; explore it for some time and then move on. My studio is my laboratory.

A passion for figurative art emerged during my years as a fashion illustrator - it is a subject without limit. The beauty of Columbia County opened the door to the natural world. This too has become an "irresistible" source of inspiration.


Naked
“By the one, we know the others” - Virgil, Aeneid quoted by Marcel Proust

When I draw a nude I see a window into mankind - into evolution, into perfection. Naked, because drawing the human body has always been a privilege.

Stripped down bare, a person without clothing can be seen as naked, undressed. I see a nude - a sculpture, curves and the weight of a body. I see a gesture, grace, lines, and the uniqueness of each form and the uniquely human composition of each pose. A hint of fabric and folds surrounding the body add a bit of music to the composition and words to the story.

Drawing
Drawing, for me, captures the moment. There is an energy and spontaneity in a drawing that uses the most humble of materials to communicate a fragile moment in time. Art is said to reflect life; it can however, provide an interpretive voice, a narrative that is distinctive and personal.

People
Captured on paper and canvas my people paintings and drawings are a visual narrative. I am intrigued by the way groups or couples compose themselves for photographs and occasions. My intention is to capture an ephemeral moment while providing a glimpse of the relationships and the individuals.The paintings are often cropped to simulate the look of quick snapshots.

Teaching – Teaching has been am important part of my creative process.
I have been teaching art in Columbia County for the past seven years. My students are all ages and I teach in school settings like the Hudson Opera House and Columbia Greene Community College in Hudson, NY. and, at Berkshire Community College in Great Barrington Mass. Some of my students prefer private instruction in my studio.
My objective is to engage students, of all ages, in a lively exploration of the arts. To view art in new ways and to recognize the great variety of options for creative expression.

Paintings by request - My personal style of painting and drawing family portraits, recounting a poignant moment in a person’s family history, has led to privately commissioned paintings and drawings. Direct all inquiries to this web site.

Brush Paintings and Ink Paintings
As a fashion illustrator, I employed elements of Japanese brush painting in my drawings, a technique I recently began to practice again and to teach.

Background
Born in Brooklyn, New York my paintings and drawings are influenced by an extensive career in the fashion industry, which included projects for industry leaders such as Ralph Lauren, Gloria Vanderbilt, Tommy Hilfiger, Liz Claiborne, and JC Penney.

After attending the High School of Art and Design and the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, as well as classes at the School of Visual Arts, my career, which began in the field of fashion illustration, evolved into fashion merchandising, marketing and design.

Re-entering the world of fine art, I joined the Studio Arts Program at SUNY Empire State College in Chelsea and participated in several group shows.

Recent Shows June –Aug 2008 – Works on Paper - Briggs Mountain Gallery Group Show – Milan NY
July 11 –August 4, 2008 – Bamboo - Deborah Davis Gallery, Solo Feature, Hudson NY
September 5 – October 1, 2008 – Old Chatham Country Store, Solo Show
Nu Art – Group Show at the Lichtenstein Arts Center, Pittsfield, MA, Sept.25-Oct.25 2008
January 18-February 14, 2009 – Hudson Opera House, Group Show
2010 – Briggs Mountain Gallery and Hudson Opera House…Group Shows,
Westport CT. Private Group Show.
The Columbia County Council of the Arts, the Greene County Council of the Arts and the Hudson Arts Walk have also exhibited my paintings and drawings.



Lonny Kalfus

Location photography has been my specialty throughout my career. Worldwide travel for clients such as IBM,AT&T, Liberty Mutual, CVS, Merril Lynch amongst many others gave me the opportunity to see most of this country and a good part of the world. A cover shoot for Borg Warner took me to the frozen Arctic Circle and Prudhoe Bay, another was in Japan and Hong Kong. Assignments for Cabot Industries were in Holland, Wales and the U.S. Along the way I was fortunate to work on many award winning projects.

In recent years I have focused on my fine art work. In 2003 Maj and I made a permanent move to Columbia County, NY after our old farmhouse was renovated and studios for each of us were built. It was at that time I began to explore more personal photographic work.

My photography is shaped by situations I come across and decide to investigate.The results are often a series: trees, old buildings, people, tractors... no limitations... anything's possible. I have recurrent themes... which I return to when the light is right and a graphic perspective emerges. It's an intuitive process, when the muse is there, you know it, it feels right and new possibilities abound.

Techniques/Equipment
Many images from my current series are shot with a Mamiya 7 rangefinder, no bells or whistles, a simple, elegant tool. Most of that is done with cross processed film, positive, 'chrome' film developed in negative format. The result is a choice of pallets unusual in their color range.

Prints are done on Hahnemuhle Fine Art archival paper or Museo paper and printed in editions of twenty five, signed and numbered.

Galleries/Representation
The Iris Gallery, Great Barrington and Boston, MA. represents my work.
I have also exhibited at the PhotoDistict Gallery, NYC, Briggs Mountain Gallery, Milan,NY. and United Creators, NYC. Current show at th Old Chatham Country Store Gallery through September.

Prints are in the permanent collections of Dana Farber Hospital, Boston,
Stride Capital, NYC and throughout the offices of CNN,NY amongst others.
Getty Images has licensed my work for usage worldwide for advertising, editorial and fine art purposes.

Partial Client List
AT&T, Dell, GE, Gulfstream Aerospace, Home Depot, Merrill Lynch, Merck, Mohawk Industries, American Express,
Dean Witter, JP Morgan, Pfizer, NY Times, Origins, Hoffman LeRoche, Fortune Brands, Federal Reserve Bank, University of Rochester, University of Cincinnati, Business Week, IBM, WNET Public Broadcasting,
Suny Albany, RPI,CVS