Ecstatic Light: an installation of illuminated paintings by Peter Bynum

Artist Residency - June 2, 2016 through November 2017

During his residency in 2016, New-York based painter Peter Bynum installed a series of illuminated paintings on glass in modernist designer Russel Wright’s House and Studio, marking Manitoga’s first presentation of a contemporary artist within the interiors. The installation, which opened in 2016, was extended through the 2017 tour season.

Bynum was drawn to Russel Wright’s desire to create a profound intimacy with the natural world.  "At Manitoga we experience a visionary designer’s innovative use of light, glass, and organic forms to deepen our connection with nature. What a magical place to present paintings that explore how light and transparency can expand the territory available to painting, and show paint’s organic ability to express the interconnectedness of all life.” Manitoga’s Executive Director Allison Cross commented on the selection of Bynum for the artist residency, "Russel Wright, like Bynum, experimented with light, elements of nature, the effects of layering, and new materials at Manitoga, pushing boundaries and our expectations. Both Manitoga and Peter’s ethereal illuminated paintings offer an immersive experience. Our viewing of the installed work will unfold, becoming part of the choreography and the intimacy of visiting the site.”

ABOUT PETER BYNUM
Peter Bynum is known for his light-infused sculptural paintings and large-scale installations. Bynum’s work has been exhibited in Rome, Shanghai, Basel, Paris, Cologne, and throughout the U.S. In 2013, New York’s Museum of Arts & Design commissioned a large, illuminated triptych to feature alongside renowned light artist James Turrell.  In 2014, he was commissioned by the New York Public Library to fill its 5th Avenue windows with 17 large-scale illuminated paintings. His most recent installation, commissioned by the Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art, reinterprets his work into canvases 23 ft. high x 16 ft. wide for the Hudson riverfront in Peekskill, NY. Peter Bynum received his MFA from New York University. He lives and works in New York’s Hudson Valley. 

PRESS
Peter Bynum's ECSTATIC LIGHT at Manitoga interview by Sarah LaDuke (WAMC, May 2016)
Light it Up - An Interview with Peter Bynum by David Levine (Hudson Valley Magazine, May 2016)
Seeing Inside the Paint by Allison Rooney (The Highlands Current, May 2016)

2016 ARTIST RESIDENCY HOST COMMITTEE

Lead Sponsors / David & Nanci Heller McAlpin, Marilyn & Jim Simons

Sponsors / Christopher Jara & Donald Taffurelli, Tom Krizmanic, Gary & Laura Maurer

Contributors / Donald J. Albrecht, Joe Chapman, Frank B R Sahm Jr. Charitable Foundation, Nancy Olnick & Giorgio Spanu 

Supporters / Robert Aresty, Sidney Babcock & Jose Romeu, William Burback & Peter Hofmann, Allison Cross & Henry Nye, David Diamond & Karen Zukowski, Dorothy Dunn, Lyn & John Fischbach, Jack & Cheryl Lenhart, EASTER Foundation / Anne & Fred Osborn III, Melissa Meyers & Wilbur Foster, Dan Macey & Paul Savidge, Cathy Kuttner Polich & Dick Polich, Frederic C. Rich, Liliane Salama & J. Peter Stillman, Alison Spear & Alex Reese, Don Watson & Linda Thomas, Aleta Wolfe.