ILONA KENNEDY
I have been involved in art-making for over 40 years now, and during that time focused primarily on realistic imagery through photography, printmaking (photoetching), clay sculpture, and mostly figurative oil painting. However, in collecting art myself, I found I was strongly attracted to abstract and non-objective artworks. Where does the modern artist’s inspiration and imagination come from? Could I do it? How to begin? When I tried and looked at a white canvas or panel board, (which are expensive so you don’t want to screw up) I just froze. An irrational fear welled up in me!
I spoke to a couple of artist friends about this serious block and with their help came up with a way to overcome my fear. 1. Work on a less expensive support first, as there are papers that can be used with all mediums nowadays, and then adhere the “successes” to more durable surfaces like panel boards, if deemed worthy. 2. Start making collages first with random bits cut out of magazines. Overlay stencils for complexity if I so desired. Focus on the same strong elements of design used in realistic works: color, shape, line, edges, and facilitating movement of the eye, through dominance, repetition. Most importantly, a proper proportion of values is the key to success, no matter the medium or the genre. So I refocused on doing this, and voila, barrier crossed!
These solutions have helped me in other ways as well. As a new grandmother to 4 grand-daughters in the Covid era, from Maine to Colorado, I have to be mobile. Working on paper is the solution! As well, several trips abroad have provided me with enough of my own photographic material with which to collage. Since early days I have always been drawn to textures and surfaces of walls, pathways, and objects, as well as the juxtaposition of curvilinear and geometric forms.
In recent years, I have explored encaustics, and incorporated many bits of the photographs I have taken into this rich textural medium. And now I am exploring cold wax and oils, a more portable medium, and pushing myself to first play with gestural mark-making, and then compose pieces using my imagination, rather than solely realistic extrapolations. It has been a totally foreign process for me and one I surprisingly delight in!
Modern masters whose work I am attracted to range from Motherwell, Rauschenberg, and Diebenkorn, to contemporary artists such as Karl-Heinz Bogner’s architectronic spaces, Anne Brerot’s dreamy landscapes, Philibert-charrin’s and Donna Watson’s collages, and Marc Prialnic’s memory-evoking tracings on carefully prepared boards.
As far as the meaning of my multi-media works, I leave their interpretation up to the viewer.
EXHIBITIONS - USA
2023 -3Square Art-100 Square Inches of Art, Fort Collins, CO (Juried)
2022 -3Square Art-Art in Black and White, Fort Collins, CO (Juried)
-3Square Studio Artists Annual Exhibition, Fort Collins, CO
2021 -3Square Art-Art in Black and White, Fort Collins, CO (Juried)
-3Square Art-NOOBAA/ Non-Objective Abstract Art, Fort Collins, CO (Juried)
-3Square Studio Artists Annual Exhibition, Fort Collins, CO
2020 -3Square Studio Artists Annual Exhibition, Fort Collins, CO
2019 -Visual Arts Center, Summit, NJ
-Mast Cove Gallery, Kennebunkport, ME
-Work Home Gallery, Millburn, NJ
2018 -Viewpoints, Studio Montclair, NJ (Juried)
2016-18 -Mast Cove Gallery, Kennebunkport, ME
2012-15 -Mast Cove Gallery, Kennebunkport, ME
-James Gallery, New Bedford, NY
2011 -Out of Africa, Blue Door Gallery, Yonkers, NY (Juried)
-Fine Art and Crafts at Anderson Park, Upper Montclair, NJ (Juried)
2010 -1978 Maplewood Arts Center, BANG 5, Maplewood, NJ
-Visual Arts Center of New Jersey, Members’ Exhibition, Summit, NJ
-Metro Show, City Without Walls, Newark, NJ (Juried)
2006 -Metro Show, City Without Walls, Newark, NJ (Juried)
-Faces of Winter-2006, Connecticut Society of Portrait Artists, Bendheim Gallery, Greenwich, CT, 2006 (Juried)
2005 -Figures and Faces – Old and New, Block Gallery, Montclair, NJ (Solo)
2004 -Studio Montclair 12th Open Artists’ Studios Exhibition, NJ
-Ilona Kennedy – Friends & Accessories, JCC-West Orange Gallery, West Orange, NJ (Solo)
-Ilona Kennedy - Scenes from the South of France, Savory Restaurant/Gallery, S. Orange, NJ (Solo)
-Let’s Face It - What is a Portrait? Studio Montclair Members Exhibition, Gaelen
Gallery, Whippany, NJ (Juried, 2nd place award)
-Gaelen Fifth Annual Juried Exhibition, Whippany, NJ (Juried, Best in Oil/Acrylic)
2000 -“Punny Girl – A Cowtoon”, Cow Parade 2000, West Orange, NJ (Juried)
EXHIBITIONS - CANADA
1997 -Exotic Destinations: The travel of 10 Alberta Artists, McMullen Gallery, Edmonton, Alberta (Juried)
-Selected Works from the Society of Northern Alberta Print-artists Archives, SNAP Gallery, Edmonton, Alberta (Juried)
-Friends of Printmaking Exhibition, University of Alberta, FAB Gallery, Edmonton, Alberta (Juried)
-Edmonton Art Gallery, Prints from the Collection, Edmonton, Alberta (Juried)
1996 -Society for Northern Alberta Print-artists Members Show, Edmonton, Alberta (Juried)
-Friends of Printmaking Exhibition, University of Alberta, FAB Gallery,
Edmonton, Alberta (Juried)
1994 -Biennale Internationale d'Art Miniature, Quebec (Juried)
1993 -Award-winning Works from the International Biennial Print Exhibition, Taipei Gallery, New York (Juried)
-Canada Art Bank Exhibition, FAB Gallery, Edmonton, Alberta (Juried)
1992 -Alberta Women Artists 1991, McMullen Gallery, Edmonton, Alberta (Juried)
-Gulf Canada Exhibition, Alberta Printmaker's Society, Calgary, Alberta (Juried)
-5th International Biennial Print Exhibit, R.O.C. Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taiwan (Juried)
1991 -Lasting Impressions, Art EVO Gallery, Edmonton, Alberta
-Celebration of Women in the Arts, Edmonton, Alberta (Juried)
-Miniart 91, Internationell Miniutstallning, Olofstrom, Sweden, 1991 (Juried)
-Window to the Future '91, McMullen Gallery, Edmonton, Alberta (Juried)
-Everyone's Art Auction, Profiles Gallery, St. Albert, Alberta (Juried)
EDUCATION
B.F.A. University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, 1991
Master of Library Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada, 1974
B.A. Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada, 1971
GRANTS/ AWARDS
Best in Landscape 2019 Visual Arts Center, Summit, NJ
2nd place, “Let’s Face It: What is a Portrait?” Studio Montclair Exhibition, 2004
Best in Oil/Acrylic, Gaelen Fifth Annual Juried Exhibition, 2004
Silver Award, 5th International Biennial Print Exhibit: 1991 ROC, Taipei, 1992
Alberta Visual Arts Study Grant, University of Alberta, 1984-86
Ontario Graduate Fellowship, University of Toronto, 1973-74
COLLECTIONS
Alberta Foundation for the Arts, Edmonton, Canada
Canada Art Bank, Ottawa, Canada
Edmonton Art Gallery, Edmonton, Alberta
Newark Beth Israel Hospital, Newark, NJ
Rutgers University, Newark, NJ
SNAP Archives, Edmonton, Alberta
Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taipei, Taiwan
University of Alberta, Art and Design, Edmonton, Alberta
West Orange School Board, West Orange, New Jersey
Various private collections in Canada, England, Estonia, France, Sweden, Turkey & USA
PUBLICATIONS AND REVIEWS
Angie’s Cupcakes, Ilona Kennedy, 2012 (Amazon)
Out of Africa, Blue Door Gallery Catalog, 2011 p 16-17 (illus)
“BIG SHOW, Small ART”, by Carol Selman, Westorange.patch.com, Nov 17, 2010
“Still Finding Alternatives”, Sunday Star Ledger, May 21, 2006, Secton 4, p8 (Illus)
“Paintings from photos”, New Jersey Jewish News, Aug. 16, 2004, p. 36 (Illus)
Cowparade 2000: New York, NY/Stamford, CT/West Orange, NJ. Cowparade
Holdings 2000. p. 12NJ (Illus.)
CowParade New York. Workman Publishing, New York, 2000, p. 133 (Illus.)
International Printmaking Co-operatives Symposium, Co-edited and forward by
Ilona Kennedy, SNAP, Edmonton, Alberta, 1997 (Illustrated catalogue)
Charles Mandel, “A colorful trip around the world in Exotic Destinations”, Edmonton
Journal, Jan 17, 1997, p. C7
“Ilona Kennedy – Templars’ Dreams I”, SNAP Newsletter, Sept., 1996 p. 1-3
“Spring is for art”, Edmonton Jewish News, May 1994, p. 9 (Illus.)
Award-winning works from the International Biennial Print Exhibition, Oct. 8-Nov.
6, 1992. Taipei Gallery, NY (Illustrated catalog)
The 5th International Biennial Print Exhibit: 1991 ROC, Dec. 14, 1991-Mar 15, 1992.
Taipei Fine Arts Museum. (Illustrated catalog)
Maija Graham, “Grave engravings in latest FAB show”, The Gateway, Apr 9, 1991, p.17
Steven Yi, “Rabid FAB show opens Friday”, The Gateway, Sept. 12, 1991 p.12 (Illus.)
“U of A Printmaking Fundraiser”, Visual Arts Newsletter, Vol. 13, No. 4, Dec., 1991,
p. 8 (Illus.)