Cathexis: Art of Obsession, a collection of works by five local artists, will be showcased at the Pierro Gallery March 25-May 6. Meet the featured talent during a panel discussion on Sunday, March 25, from 2-3 p.m., followed by an opening reception from 3-5 p.m.

Cathexis refers to the process of investment of mental or emotional energy in a person, object, or idea. The five featured artists include Alaine Becker (mixed medium), Anne Marie Carnese (scratchboard), Elaine Chong (encaustic), Deb Mell (sculpture), and Paul Shore (drawing).

About the Artists

Alaine Becker, from South Orange, NJ, creates pastel and graphite oversized drawings with fragmented human elements. Most images, androgynous in nature, are created from personal images, dreams, and past and present experiences. Many of Becker’s pastel works have a spontaneous quality with purity of color. Alaine has exhibited extensively throughout New Jersey, including City Without Walls and The New Jersey Center for Visual Arts.

Anne Marie Carnese, from Montclair, NJ creates drawings and scratchboard images of voluptuous biomorphic shapes created out of suspended states of fluid movement. Carnese’s works create a dialogue that deals with the emerging self-contained form and its own relationship of suspension of time, space and form. Anne Marie has exhibited at throughout the East Coast inlcluding Cranbrook Art Museum in Conneticut and The Drawing Center, NY.

Elaine Chong, from Summit, NJ uses mixed medium to create a “visual calendar,” works that are reflective of daily activities of the past and present. Chong’s works contemplate thinking about the next, while trying to remember the present with the intent to capture this moment. Elaine has received numerous awards and exhibited throughout NJ, including Ben Shahn Galleries.

Deb Mell, from Maplewood, NJ, creates works of art with collected artifacts that gives new meaning and life to each item. Mell has exhibited nationally and internationally, including Aljira Center for Contemporary Arts, City With Out Walls and Copenhagen and Elsinore in Denmark.

Paul Shore, from New York, NY, creates sculptures and drawings that concentrate on intimacy issues with anthromporhizing forms from figurative to abstraction and elaborate to simplification.

Poetry at Pierro

Along with the exhibition, Poetry at Pierro will be on Sunday, April 29, 2-4 p.m. with featured poets José Funes, Michael Lally, Marilyn Mohr, Holly Scalera and Ruby Scalera. An open mike will follow the readings by the featured poets.

The Pierro Gallery of South Orange is located on 5 Mead Street, South Orange, NJ. The Gallery hours are Friday thru Sunday from 1-4pm. Exhibitions and poetry event are free to the public. The gallery is wheelchair and handicap accessible with large print. For more information call (973) 378-7754 or go online at www.thebaird.org.