Improvisationalism: Myth & Nature and Encore Encounter

Two exhibits:

Improvisationalism: Myth and Nature

Paintings of Gde Arsa Artha, Gallery One

and Encore Encounter: Works of Poramit Thantapalit, Gallery Two

April 15 – June 10, 2023

Opening Reception: Saturday, April 15, 2pm – 5pm

Free to the Public 

 Free workshops with artists, April 29^th, 12-3pm

Please join Rockland Center for the Arts for the opening of two exhibits: Improvisationalism: Paintings by Gde Arsa Artha in Gallery One and Encore Encounter: Recycled works by Poramit Thantapalit in Gallery Two.

Improvisationalism is the work of Rockland artist, Gde Arsa Artha, inspired by his homeland of Ubud, Bali, Indonesia.  His paintings play off of nature, mythology and traditional Balinese folk tales.  Art plays an important part in Balinese traditional ceremonies, establishing a need for spatial orientation, both physically and visually, balancing and arranging the energy of the universe.  For example, his painting “Moon Eclipse” displays the moon as the goddess of immortality fighting off the evil demon from hell as he flies through the sky during the full moon trying to swallow the moon goddess, Ratih.  Ratih brings balance to the universe by not allowing the demon to capture immortality. The painting was inspired by the 1997 Hailey’s Comet and Bali mythology of the moon eclipse.  His latest paintings often incorporate ink and computer technology.  As tradition has informed his art, evolution helped develop it; technically with the use of Western color and perspective while connecting with the past, reflecting both his Balinese origin and his individuality. 

Tjokorda Gde Arsa Artha studied all the traditional arts of his Bali homeland from an early age.  Arriving in New York in the early eighties, he attended the Arts Students League in New York City on scholarship.  Through the Asia Society of New York and other organizations, he has frequently participated in programs representing the visual and performing arts of Bali, including music and dance performances, workshops, and demonstrations of Balinese techniques in painting, carving, crafts, and dance.  He has exhibited in Bali’s Puri Lukisan Museum in Ubud, throughout NYC and the Hudson Valley region.  He has been commissioned by UNICEF to paint “The Little Cowboy” for the Flags of the United Nations.  Artha has been a grant recipient of the Pollock-Krasner Foundation, a professor at Bard College, a member of the Giri Mekar, a community gamelan orchestra in the Hudson Valley, and is the current Director of The Pomona Cultural Center in Rockland.  He resides in Pomona, NY with his family. 

Encore Encounter features the works of Poramit Thantapalit.  Poramit’s work is inspired by the relationship and connection between humans, nature and the surroundings such as trees, flowers, the ocean, people and animals.  The artist focuses on using both recycled and non-recycled materials to create his artwork.  Discarded shopping bags, cereal boxes, and plastic bottles that were once considered “trash” are altered into unexpected visions of beauty such as coral clouds hanging from the ceiling and bluetanica gardens growing on the wall .  Poramit’s artwork is created from small parts and are uniquely assembled like puzzles.  Each piece can stand alone as an individual object or together to create a large installation.  Cyanotype prints are often made of the recycled objects of art.  Beautifully created sculptures, installations, mixed media and drawings exemplify just how much waste we generate.  His work inspires viewers to protect our environment.

A native of Thailand, Poramit Thantapalit has a degree in journalism and a master’s in computer graphics from New York Institute of Technology.  He has over 15 years’ experience as a graphic designer, artist and photographer with global marketing organizations.  His installations and artworks have been exhibited at the Arcadia Earth Museum, National Academy Museum, the James Rose Center, IPCNY Print Fest at Robert Miller Gallery, the Jersey City Theater, and the Sodertalje Arts Gallery in Sweden.  His installation “Masked Arts” that he created during the pandemic was featured in the New York Times Sunday edition in May 2021.  Poramit now lives in New Jersey.

Two free workshops will be given on April 29^th from 12-3: Ink Drawing & Ink Wash with Tjok Gde Arsa Artha.  Learn the subtle approach to creating a picture or a visual form by applying lines and using a variety of tools and techniques using traditional bamboo pens.  Cyanotypes: Printing with the Sun with Poramit Thantapalit.  Learn about the cyanotupe process to produce distinctive blue images by using sunlight.  During this workshop, participants will learn how to mix and apply chemistry to paper and print unique cyanotypes using a sunlight exposure. To sign up and reserve a spot in either of these free workshops call 845-358-0877 or visit www.rocklandartcenter.org.

Please also join Rockland Center for the Arts for Untold Stories in the Emerson Gallery.  The exhibit opens with an artist reception on Saturday, April 15th, 2:00pm – 5:00pm.  The exhibit will be on view through June 10^th, open Mondays – Saturdays 11am – 4pm, (closed Sundays).  Free to the Public.  For more information call (845) 358-0877 or visit www.rocklandartcenter.org.

 RoCA gratefully acknowledges support for its programs from The Rea Charitable Trust, ArtsWestchester, Sarah and Stephen Thomas, The Richard Pousette-Dart Foundation, M&T Bank, The M&T Charitable Foundation, The Dorothy Gillespie Foundation, Walter Cain & Paulo Ribeiro, Kantrowitz, Goldhamer & Graifman P.C., QuietEvents, the Estate of Joan Konner, Lighting Services Inc.,, the Mark and Jessie Milano Foundation, Zaklin Family Charitable Fund, The County of Rockland, Art Services Group, RoCA members, donors and business members.

RoCA’s programs are made possible, in part, with funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature. Funding is also made possible by the County of Rockland.