Many residents of Sussex County consider the beach and the city their home, so we are celebrating both locations with our August exhibition! “City to Sea” brings together three artists — Cathy Abramson, John Aquilino, and Jack Robbins — to depict both metropolitan and ocean landscapes. While the artists share a contemporary realism style, they all express the theme in their unique perspectives. Cathy, John, and Jack have each produced 10 artworks in various sizes and shapes, with half the pieces being nautical and the others urban.​

 

    Cathy Abramson is a Maryland-based artist inspired by the city and its constant fluidity. She explores the urban environment through the more painterly aspects of her subject matter; the linear quality of buildings under construction and the effect of light and shadow on the geometry of the built environment. She sees poetry in the ordinary, and her local paintings of Washington, DC, and the DMV resonate with everyone. For this exhibit, Cathy has included scenes of modern urban living: strangers in a cafe, windows dressed in the latest fashion trend, a man taking his best friend out on an evening walk. But the concept of “City to Sea” pushes Cathy beyond her metropolitan comfort zone, inviting her to showcase more traditional marsh and seascapes that reflect the quiet stillness of natural waterways. 

 

    Born and raised in the New York City area, artist John Aquilino has been a working artist for 20 years. He is intrigued by the endless patterns of colors and shadows produced by the changing light throughout the day and even at different times of the year. His goal is not to document a particular city or view, but rather, he manipulates shapes and shadows to create striking compositions. The colors are exaggerated, the surfaces are simplified, and architectural features are rearranged or eliminated. John’s cityscapes are graphic and geometric, creating an intimate connection with buildings through intense precision and detail. Meanwhile, his beach scenes, which capture the crowded shores during summer vacation, are freer in design while still embracing a graphic nature.   

 

    For Jack Robbins, painting is storytelling — creating an image that sparks the imagination and makes you want to spend time with it, writing your own narrative. His mid-century modern, acrylic paintings take you someplace new or remind you of a favorite place from long ago. The joy of art is the connection between the creator and the viewer; each pair of eyes sees something different, and each experience is unique. Jack’s “City to Sea” images are atmospheric and evocative, with simple shapes and high-contrast shading. Through his brush, he transports the viewer to a specific moment in time, taking you from stormy evenings on the beach to sun-soaked afternoons in a modern museum.