Art Association holds second artist in residence presentation

From staff reports

Ohio artist and art professor Taimur Cleary will be the Glen Arbor Art Association’s second artist-in-residence for the 2011 season. His presentation for the public will take place on Thursday, May 26 at 7:30 p.m. at the Art Association’s building in Glen Arbor (opposite Cherry Republic — follow the sign to GAAA). The program is free and light refreshments will be served. Cleary is an adjunct professor of art at the Columbus College of Art and Design in Ohio. Prior to that he taught art as an assistant professor in Lahore, Pakistan. He has lived and worked in New York City and Denver, among other places, but he always returns to northern Michigan in the summer where he is captivated by the landscape and has a “deep spiritual connection” since childhood summers near Frankfurt.

Cleary graduated from Miami University in Ohio with a BA in photography and painting. He received his MFA (with distinction) at the Pratt Institute in New York where he also held a Graduate Assistantship. Cleary works in large-scale oils inspired by light, the beauty of nature as well as satellite imagery. He learned about meteorology from his grandfather who was a Navigator of B-17s in the Second World War. His paintings show his interest in horizons and clouds, which make for an unusual and interesting perspective for the viewer.

Cleary will use his spring residency to depict the wildlife and “dramatic weather” of the season. Cleary explains, “Migratory birds will be returning, and the beaches, rivers, forests and towns will have yet to meet with the traffic of those on summer vacation. I generally prefer to depict landscapes as free, or mostly free of people. This choice is made to highlight the relationship of the viewer to the canvas, the scene depicted and the viewer’s own environment.”

To learn more about the artists and their residencies call (231) 334-6112 or visit www.glenarborart.org.