Denali Highway, 2011 Painting

I was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Ever since I can remember, I was making art. After I received my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, I headed to New York City, where I had a teaching fellowship at Brooklyn College. I earned a Master of Fine Arts Degree there and continued teaching at Brooklyn College for 17 years. I subsequently taught at other colleges, including Cooper Union, NY, Parsons,NY and University of the Art,Phila, PA. I had solo exhibitions at O.K. Harris Gallery and Paley & Lowe Gallery in New York City. My work has been exhibited widely across the country, including locally. I am represented in numerous public and private collections including the Walker Art Center, Milwaukee Art Museum, Colgate University, University Wisconsin, B.H. Friedman, NYC, Vera and Albert List, NYC. Since moving to the Catskills, the land has been the focus of my work . As I paint, I imagine myself walking through the painting. If the painting evokes a sense of a particular, special place, for others and myself, that is good. But, I also expect that the painting is put together right. The composition, the color, the space, the overall design are things that are very important to me in a work of art. If someone is going to spend time looking at my paintings, it is my obligation to give them something challenging to see. In the end, the work has to justify itself. If it succeeds, it is because I reacted to the painting and led it along to where it wanted to go. I can be reached at rjkreznar@gmail.com