|
Margaret was born in New York City in 1934. She studied painting at the Art Students League with Edwin Dickenson and at Cooper Union, both in New York City. Married to photographer and videographer Dick Crenson, the couple moved upstate, eventually settling in the Poughkeepsie area, where they were activists and innovative artists enriching the area's creative life. Both were dedicated members of the Barrett Art Center and were exhibited by many of the region's galleries. Margaret joined Albert Shahinian Fine Art in 1998 and both she and Dick have been featured in the gallery's ongoing exhibition program. Margaret died of illness in April, 2011. Dick continues to develop his creative (and many times humorous) talents; his wire sculpture will be included in the current show.
Crenson painted primarily with oil, sometimes mixed with cold wax. She loved the directness and simplicity of applying paint with a palette knife. Primarily a studio painter, she was expert, also, en plein air. Her subjects covered a wide and sometimes unexpected range. They included personal objects, appliances and tools, kitchen tools, everyday interiors, pets, outdoor views around their home, things seen and experienced on the road, and street scenes - of local towns and villages to those encountered on the many trips she and Dick took to far-away places. Atmosphere, light, and shadow were very important to her and she was a master at evoking a sense of groundedness and place, even when painting something as simple as her iron and ironing board.
Crenson's talent for composition is immense and undergirds the work selected for this show by Albert Shahinian. Margaret was a slight, soft-spoken and progressive personality, treating her subjects with tenderness and humor and, on occasion, with deep regard for positive social values and the thoughtful life. She was a singular stylist and her work remains, still, indelibly, Margaret.
|
%2030x34%20WT.jpg)
