Helmsley Building Tunnel, painted in oil on stretched canvas, measuring 16×20 in., is included in a group exhibit titled “Into the Night: Nocturnes” at the Salmagundi Club in Manhattan until February 14, 2025. The exhibition delves into the nuances, beauties and mysteries of the night and all its inherent umbral aura, real or imagined.
Professor Groat’s vantage point for the painting is from the edge of 46th Street in NYC. He has painted this iconic building several times before from different perspectives, and his fascination with mysterious tunnels and urban spaces stems back to living in Brooklyn and Savannah, GA during the early 90s while attending graduate school, where he explored these distinct urban environments, and then several years later, painting the Richardson Olmstead Complex tunnel (former Buffalo Psychiatric Center) while working on post graduate studies in Buffalo. His interest in passageways continued during the summer of 2006, when he had an opportunity to explore the catacombs while visiting Rome, Italy.
The Salmagundi Club located at 7 Fifth Avenue and 12th Street has continuously championed representational art from its founding with iconic members, including: Thomas Moran (1837-1926), William Merritt Chase (1849-1916), Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848-1933), Emil Carlsen (1848-1932), N.C. Wyeth (1882-1945), Childe Hassam (1859-1935) and Winston Churchill (1874-1965).
The exhibition may be viewed at this link: SCNY Into the night : nocturnes | Salmagundi Club
Submitted by: Art and Design
Tags: Performing and Fine Arts