Witness Art as It Is Created at GAS Gallery

Gerard Amsellem and Mikel Frank do not think art is only for the lonely — involving some solitary artist toiling in a garret.

Lately, the two local artists have discovered the joys and rewards of collaborative creation. They want to share that discovery with the Maplewood community and beyond by creating a giant abstract painting at  in Maplewood on April 23, 2011.

Amsellem and Frank are calling the projectPassing: A Collaboration.

The pair have been painting together for several months in Frank’s studio. Rather than showing the products of their collaboration in a traditional gallery setting they have decided to share the experience with the public by making a painting on location in a single day at GAS.

The title “Passing” has many levels of significance for the two artists. First, there is the literal meaning of passing the baton of creative energy between two artists to create a shared experience. Second, it is taking place between Passover and Easter representing the passing of one religious holiday to another, both holidays having significant passing references in them.

And third, Mikel and Gerard cemented their friendship with something they had in common. That is the passing of loved ones close to them. Mikel lost his father in the same year that Gerard lost his brother. As they discussed the passing of these very significant people in their lives they realized they shared more than just being creative spirits. They shared the very emotional human experience of loss, grief and passing. These are feelings they would like to have come through in their collaboration.

The project is set to take place on April 23 beginning at 11:00 a.m. and going into the evening. Amsellem and Frank will be painting a canvas 7.5 feet high by 15 feet wide. The public is invited to stop by the gallery any time during the painting session. The artists will be hard at work and they may even invite attendees to grab a brush and be a part of this happening — and free — event.

The day will culminate in a party when all are invited to come back and see the finished product. The reception will run from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. with free refreshments available.

GAS Gallery and Studio is located at 411 Ridgewood Road, Maplewood, NJ. Other on view will be works by Rick Hauser and Micha Hamilton.