This October the Livingston Public Library is showcasing the paintings of artist Marnie Vyff.
Marnie was born, raised and lives in New Jersey. Her interests have always been in the arts and environmental studies. With an undergraduate degree in graphic design from the Rhode Island School of Design, she spent her early adult life as a graphic designer in New York City, San Francisco and Denmark. 10 years ago she got her masters degree at Montclair State University in environmental studies and now is a Professor at Kean University in environmental science and paints in her spare time.
Marnie blends her love for nature and color in the creative form of painting. Her artwork represents her reverence for the natural wild world and, often, the tragedy of its destruction by mankind. She quotes Albert Einstein who said, “Look deep into nature and then you will understand everything better.”
Adds Marnie, “An important example of this is that balance in nature includes species eating other species. It’s how nature passes nutrients and energy up the food chain. It is essential and good. However, the mass destruction of the wild world is actually destroying the planet’s future ability to sustain life, including mankind. Look deep into nature. Understand and fall in love with the systems by which life works and their natural beauty, for we cannot save what we do not love. “
Marnie’s ultimate goal is to emphasize emotional content through color and texture which cannot be found in straight realism. She uses mostly “acrylic pour” for the way colors blend and flow. Her subject matter tends to be simple natural topics, where she can play with colors and textures in a constant search for the right balance between realism and abstraction.
The striped paintings displayed in this exhibit represent motion or different moments in time, thus including the fourth dimension – time. They are created by painting two paintings with the same composition but with different coloration. The paintings are sliced up, mixed every other strip and glued to an artboard. The resulting color play adds visual interest.
Stop by during Library hours in October to enjoy this unique exhibit in the entrance showcase.
-Archana, Adult Services & Acquisitions Librarian