Arts&Life
exhibit
30 | APRIL 23 • 2020
J
onathan Santlofer estab-
lished a successful career as
a painter before two trage-
dies impacted his professional
instincts. After the death of his
wife (food writer Joy Santlofer)
and a fire that destroyed 10
years of work, he began writing
projects and altered his artistry.
Santlofer revealed his experi-
ences and Jewish outlook in The
Widower’
s Notebook: A Memoir
(Penguin Books, 2018) and
moved into fiction with detec-
tive novels. Leaving behind
the abstract, he experimented
with merging realistic images
through printmaking.
Santlofer’
s 13-color screen-
print “Beyond the Forest” and
pieces by two other well-re-
garded Jewish artists, Sidney
Hurwitz and Hugh Kepets, are
among the works of 35 artists
from around the country in
the exhibit Glimpse: Fine Print
Selections from Stewart & Stewart
1980-2020.
The exhibit is on view
through June 4 (by appoint-
ment because of social dis-
tancing) at the Birmingham
Bloomfield Art Center. It also is
available through an online cat-
alog at stewartstewart.com.
The exhibit honors the 40th
anniversary of husband-and-
wife team Norman and Susan
Stewart, who print, publish and
collaborate with artists in their
Bloomfield Hills studio-resi-
dence. Santlofer is one of many
printmakers who have stayed
at the Stewart facility to trans-
fer matrix images and color to
other surfaces.
“They were open to letting
me do what I wanted to do in
what is a collaborative art,
” said
the New York-based Santlofer.
In “Beyond the Forest,
”
Santlofer started with his own
handprints, drew on top of
them and developed a land-
scape.
“I had been visiting the cave
paintings in France, and the
handprint, which you see so
often in Paleolithic art … was
in my mind,
” he said.
Santlofer’
s works have been
in more than 200 exhibitions
worldwide and are in the
permanent collections of the
Metropolitan Museum of Art
in New York, Art Institute of
Chicago and others.
Norman Stewart, a master
printer, helps artists create
imagery using traditional and
digital fine art printing tech-
niques. Susan Stewart, a graphic
designer, is instrumental in
placing the original editions in
worldwide museums, galleries,
corporations and residences.
“In choosing the pieces for
the BBAC exhibit, I wanted a
range of artists and techniques,
”
Norman Stewart said.
Artist Sidney Hurwitz, who
focuses on industrial sites, is
represented in the show by “Gas
Works,
” an etching/aquatint
Jewish artists highlighted in BBAC
exhibit of Stewart & Stewart artists.
SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Print Patrons
THE BBAC HAS LAUNCHED its first at-home Art Challenge,
encouraging people to make art at home. The first challenge is
inspired by artist Andy Goldsworthy, a sculptor, photographer and
environmentalist. Participants are challenged to go on an adventure
through their own backyard and observe the natural elements that
exist right outside their door, using collected objects to create their
own land sculpture.
At-home artists can send images of their work to Info@
BBArtCenter.org with “Art Challenge” in the subject line and include
their name and age. More challenges are coming soon. The BBAC
will post select photos on its website and social media.
Sidney Hurwitz, “Gas Works,” etching/aquatint, ed: 100 (Fine Art
Print Commission for the Flint Institute of Arts, Flint)
COURTESY OF BBAC