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"Brooklyn Primitive"
The
Art of Ivan Koota
January 9 -
March
3rd, 2003
Central Library: Grand Lobby &
2nd Fl Balcony
Reception: Trustees Room, Central Library, Thurs. January 9, 6:30 pm.
 “Ivan
Koota’s artwork is a treasure for the Borough of Brooklyn. He preserves
Brooklyn’s past through his colorful paintings that capture scenes from
his youth,” says Jay Kaplan, Director of BPL’s Willendorf Division.
“Koota’s exhibition at Brooklyn Public Library provides insight into one
individual’s perspective and interpretation of our borough. His work
allows viewers to glimpse Brooklyn’s history and how it has evolved
through the years.”
Ivan Koota relates to folk artists,
many of whom became artists later in life. His
works illustrate places or reflections from his formative years, such as
Lundy’s, BPL’s
Central Library, Nedicks and Nathan’s at Coney Island. Koota works from
memory or
old photographs to reinterpret familiar scenes from Brooklyn. Often in
Koota’s works, defunct or demolished structures are depicted as he
remembers them, as a vibrant part of the community. He enjoys working
with bright, bold colors which contribute to the energy, vitality and
exuberance in his paintings. The artist accentuates scenes in his
paintings with small brush strokes, while still maintaining a sense of
realism.
Koota spent the first 26 years of his life
in Brooklyn and attended the State
University of New York, Downstate Medical Center. He completed his first
painting at
the age of 52, shortly before his retirement in 1994 as a pediatrician.
Koota is
influenced by Southern folk art and 20th century contemporary artworks. He
relates to other artists of his generation including Harry Leiberman,
Vestie Davis and Ralph
Fasanella and those who depict urban influences in their works.
“When I began painting, I hoped I would
someday have the opportunity to show
my work in Brooklyn, and if there is one place I would like to show in
Brooklyn, it is the Library,” says Koota. “The idea of artists painting
the world they come from appeals to me. Ebbet’s Field, Coney Island,
Dubrows, these places were an integral part of growing up in Brooklyn.
These intense memories are the source of my inspiration.”
Koota’s first solo exhibit, “Brooklyn On My Mind” was held in Manhattan in
1996. In 1998, his painting of Ebbets Field, entitled “Before The Game,”
was shown at the Fenimore Art Museum in Cooperstown, New York. His second
rendition of “Grand Army Plaza” was selected to be part of an inclusive
survey of New York State Folk Art, also held at the Fenimore Art Museum in
1999. An extensive exhibition of his work was held at the Erpf Cultural
Institute in the Summer of 2001.
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Grand Army Plaza, 1998
(Click to enlarge)
Coney Island Station, 1994
Ebbets Field, 1996
Brooklyn Bridge, 1993
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