The Hands That Feed Us
Melissa Dvozenja-Thomas, Director, Development & Marketing, Arts Mid-Hudson for The Poughkeepsie Journal
Most know The Falcon in Marlboro, New York for being a world-class music venue, but what you may not realize is that The Falcon also has a 2,500-square-foot viewing space on the Main Stage floor regularly displaying large works of both regionally and nationally recognized visual artists. This space features a different artist every two months. The transformational work of Barbara Masterson is currently on view in a solo show, “The Hands That Feed Us.”
Masterson, who graduated with a master’s degree in art from SUNY New Paltz, is influenced by Monet, Edward Hopper, Windslow Homer and Michaelangelo. She has participated in juried, solo, and group shows throughout the United States, and her work is in private collections in the United States, Italy, Germany, and Guam.
Throughout the years, Masterson’s work has evolved. In May 2015, while painting en plein air on a local farm, she began adding migrant workers into her pieces. At first, they were faceless figures in the fields but as time went on they became the focus of her composition. Getting to know these workers and then painting them has transformed Masterson and her work. “The Hands That Feed Us” invites the viewer to see the portraits of these men and women who are often invisible in our society.
Upon entering the show, the event space is nearly divided in half with the left side full of dynamic colors and the right side grabbing attention with shadows and highlights from the large creations made with Wolff pencils. Some of this series, created from 2019 to 2021, are from Masterson’s works created for the Individual Artist Commission from Arts Mid-Hudson, where she included text to go along with the large scale drawings.
“Days End” is a 30”x30” oil on canvas that depicts a scene where the workers seem to be collecting their tools and packing up the truck after a long day's work. These workers, whose faces are not quite made out, are a recognizable scene in the Hudson Valley. “Hands that Feed Us #9,” a 10” x 8” oil on canvas, is one of the smaller pieces exhibited and focuses solely on the hands at work collecting cherries, which allows the viewer an intimate look of what Aristotle calls, “the tool of tools.”
Although some of Masterson’s larger oil on canvas paintings have detailed faces, the exquisite detail of these workers comes to life in her Wolff pencil works. “Desmond” shows an older man, hard at work with kind eyes and a slightly pleasing look on his face. Masterson’s abilities to capture the kind soul of Desmond, while still allowing for the weathered appearance of someone whose work is hard labor has proven an incredibly impactful balance.
Masterson states that her “work can expand our perceptions of these workers. If only by their images in paintings, the viewer will come to see these persons for the vital role they have in our lives.” The artist is present at the exhibit on Sundays from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m.
If you go:
The Hands That Feed Us
Dates: December 19, 2021 – January 30, 2022
The artist will be present Sundays from 2-5pm
Reception: January 15, 2022 from 2-4pm
Current COVID precautions will be observed