Local artist Larry Aarons will hold his first art show, displaying pastel portraits of mythical heroes, at the Gold Coast Library Annex in Glen Head on Sunday, Oct. 6, from 1 to 3 p.m. The show, “The Myths of Man,” is a series of pastels that bring to life some of the familiar faces of Greek, Roman and African gods and mythological characters in a personal way.
“I’m always drawn to the emotional aspect of the Renaissance era…Michelangelo viewed his work with emotion,” says Aarons, who uses many sculptures as his drawing subjects. “My work says touch me, feel me.”
Aarons, a resident of Glen Head, spent a career in advertising after graduating from the School of Visual Arts in New York City in 1965. While in school, he studied illustration and painting, then segued into the world of advertising, and says he “was very good at it.” He worked in the field for nearly 30 years, heading up his own agency and winning numerous awards. Throughout his career, he kept his creativity alive and continued to create and study art. Aarons has studied at The Art Students League in New York City, the Long Island Academy of Fine Arts, the Nassau County Museum of Art and the Artists Studio.
For inspiration, Aarons does a lot of research, visiting museums and studying sculptures in cosmopolitan centers around the globe. His pieces have a very real, almost life-like quality, which he says is enhanced by the chiaroscuro method of lighting, which adds warmth and depth to the portraits.
“I want my portraits to seem real but not hyper real…it’s not trying to be something that it’s not,” he says. “It’s very touchable, very human.”
He says his portraits lack the frozen quality that a photograph has, and he tries to convey the feeling of the person. Additionally, he tends to leave a touch of openness to the finishing of his drawings; to not give it a perfect human quality but leave an illusion that leaves it up to the viewer to decide.
“My style allows the viewer to have an opportunity to feel drawn in and come to their own conclusions,” he says.
In addition to the 14 finished pieces, Aarons will have transitional pieces on view so visitors can see his process. He hopes to evoke viewers to think “this is interesting…I’ve not quite seen this before.
The opening reception at the Annex, located at 40 Railroad Ave., will give attendees a chance to meet Aarons and discuss his work with him. The portraits will be on view all month long and are also for sale. Visit www.larryaaronsart.com for more information and to take a sneak peek at his work.
