“BLUE CRYSTALS REVISITED NO. 8”: This work by Janet Filomeno is part of “Talk to Me,” her joint exhibition with Katherine Parker, on view at the Arts Council of Princeton October 16 through November 20. An opening reception is Saturday, October 16 from 3 to 5 p.m.

The Arts Council of Princeton will exhibit “Talk to Me,” a collection of abstract paintings by longtime friends and collaborators Janet Filomeno and Katherine Parker, October 16 through November 20. The public is invited to an opening reception on Saturday, October 16 from 3 to 5 p.m.

Filomeno and Parker met in Hoboken in 1991. They felt an immediate affinity as both were painters of large, expressionist works. Each were grappling with the challenges of finding new language to reinvent and personalize the ideas of abstract painting for their generation. A conversation started between the two friends that has continued over 25-plus years, and both have continued to paint and show extensively in the New York/New Jersey area. The visits to the studio which have unfolded over the years have been an important touchstone for each, a means of trying out and sharing new work, of examining challenges. A trusted voice is paramount as this process takes place.

“When artists are friends, they spend years, even decades, watching one another’s work change and grow,” Filomeno and Parker share. “They talk together in studios, galleries, museums, and cafes, discussing the intersection of life and art. These conversations are so important to artists, as a studio practice is quiet and sometimes lonely. The shorthand developed over years of conversation can ignite a body of work, deepen a theme or reimagine an idea just beginning to take shape. It’s no surprise that such friendships have historically been so important to the development of new ideas and schools of thought.”

Parker’s new works address the themes of memory, time and loss. The large, painterly pieces are conceived slowly by adding layer after layer of thin oil paint, the forms and marks appearing and receding as the finished painting emerges. Parker has shown her work at MOMA/PS1, the Newark Museum, the Jersey City Museum, Spanierman Modern, Heidi Cho Gallery, Accola Littlejohn Gallery, and many other venues in New York and New Jersey. She is the recipient of a Yaddo Fellowship, an Edward Albee Fellowship, and NJ State Council for the Arts grant. She has lectured at many museums and universities in the area about her work.

Filomeno is best known for her large-scale gestural, abstract paintings that employ the use of a variety of materials such as ink, mica, shellac, acrylic paint, graphite, charcoal, paint markers, and at times, collage. By the use of her physical action such as pouring, flinging, and throwing colorful liquids onto the stretched canvas on the floor, she is able to reenact the movement one might sense in oceans, rivers, and other bodies of water.

Filomeno has exhibited on both a national and international level. She has been included in many museum exhibits including the Trenton City Museum, James A. Michener Museum, Morris Museum, Montclair Museum, and the Hunterdon and Paterson museums. Internationally she has exhibited in Japan, China, Korea, Austria, and Italy. In New York City she has exhibited in various galleries including the JCacciola and Walter Wickiser Gallery. In addition to her exhibition history she has taught and lectured at various museums and universities in the tri-state area. She has been an adjunct professor of art at Montclair State University (18 years) and William Paterson University.

The Arts Council of Princeton is located at 102 Witherspoon Street. Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free and open to the public. For more information, visit artscouncilofprinceton.org.