An exhibition of oil paintings by Eva Siroka, an author and art historian, will open at Plainsboro Library on Saturday, May 30. The show, which runs until June 24, will feature floral paintings and still lifes, as well as a few figurative works. Classically trained in the traditions of Renaissance and Baroque art, Siroka is also influenced by the contemporary art scene.
The artist will discuss her work at a reception on Sunday, June 14, from 2 to 4 p.m., in the gallery. A celebration of color and light, the exhibition is a fitting introduction to the library’s upcoming summer program theme, “Local Color.”
Flowers, as countless sources of inspirations and design, have also consumed Siroka for 40 years. A master gardener with awards from the Canadian Horticultural Society, she has designed and planted both her Canadian and her Princeton gardens. The core of her current exhibition focuses on flowers as seen through the elements of design, color, and light. In some compositions the floral pieces are an extension of real space, and in others they dissolve into colorful geometric shapes while preserving their identity.
Born in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, Siroka graduated from Hunter College, CUNY with a bachelor’s in fine arts and received a Ph.D. from Princeton University. Her dual training in art history and fine arts continues to merge in academic and creative writing, and her art. With works in North America and Europe, she is currently preparing for an exhibition at the Joseph D. Carrier Art Gallery in Toronto.
While avant-garde artists, sculptors, and architects often transcend limitations of the media, style, and even what art may represent, Siroka’s art is rooted in realism with a special focus on color. As a draftsman, she remains attached to her training in Renaissance and Baroque art, having learned to draw by copying Italian masters whom she still considers her true teachers. As a painter, she is drawn to old masters as well as to contemporary artists. While the majority of Siroka’s paintings are still-life compositions, often depicting items from her collection, she has also produced figural compositions.
A Princeton resident, she published “Maddalena,” a self-illustrated historic novel, in 2005. Her new illustrated book, published by Jorge Pinto Books, “My Life with Berti Spranger,” was released this month. It was inspired by “Bartholomeus Spranger: Splendor and Eroticism in Imperial Art,” a recent show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Siroka will sign copies of her book at the reception, and sales that day will benefit the library.
Art Exhibit, Plainsboro Public Library, 9 Van Doren Street, Plainsboro. Saturday, May 30, 10 a.m. “Flowers and People in Art,” an exhibition of oil paintings by Eva Siroka, an artist, author, and art historian. Siroka discusses her work at a reception on Sunday, June 14, from 2 to 4 p.m. She will also sign copies of her recent book, “My Life with Berti Spranger.” Sales benefit the library. On view to June 24. 609-275-2897. www.lmxac.org/plainsboro.
