Sydney Neuwirth

Distilled from the fog shrouded mountains of the West Coast and the color saturated skies of New Mexico, my work has been an ongoing attempt to record on paper and canvas, feelings prompted by observing these and other natural phenomena.

Travels in Europe have shown me the close relationship that faded Roman frescoes hold with contemporary abstract forms, and exposure to the life, lands and artifacts of foreign cultures has moved me to attempt to capture my impressions in paint.

Underlying the pictorial images are my efforts to meld sight and insight with a sense of time, movement in space, and memory. I use color, form, symbolic columns and geometric mappings to pose the question of just what constitutes reality to the mind’s eye.

Producing my work in serial fashion enables me to see the way that each piece can lead me further in the exploration of a given theme; and in an overview, I feel there is a commonality of rhythm and sensibility despite apparent differences in subject matter.

Ballet figures and flowers are paired in their evocation of ephemeral beauty and temporality. Oblique and specific references to theatre as metaphor constitute an important focus of my attention.

Basic to all, is the fact that color in all its gradations, expresses the feelings that give each piece its reason for being.

On this site are examples drawn from work created and exhibited in galleries during the past four decades. They have been chosen as representatives of various series I have developed over the years.

Sydney Anne Neuwirth has explored and worked with many forms of art expression starting from her early childhood as a member of a family that was in the paint business.

Her love of art, combined with a life-long involvement and passion for ballet, stayed with her through her college years and beyond. After her graduation from Douglas College (N.J.) in 1956 and throughout her married life, she continued her art studies through formal courses and extensive travel both here and abroad. While traveling she visited museums and galleries, visually absorbing the culture and unique geographical aspects of many foreign countries. Inspiration from the richness of these sources is discernible in much of her work.

In addition to employment in newspaper and periodical graphic design, for forty years she has exhibited her watercolors, acrylics, and mixed media collages in galleries throughout the United States.

Her work may be found in numerous private collections from coast to coast and Europe, as well as in commercial and academic venues. Detailed listings of her annual gallery shows and acquisitions by corporations may be obtained upon request.