"Recoil"
Wood Sculptures by STEFANIE ROCKNAK

          In a recent article on the work of Stefanie Rocknak, writer Martina Anderson observes that "the wood sculptures of Stefanie Rocknak seem to emerge out of another age, a distant place, while at the time appearing strikingly contemporary." Fourteen examples of Rocknak's evocative figures can be viewed from January 29 to March 1 at the National Association of Women Artists gallery on 5th Avenue - the venue for her first solo show in New York. "My work is not theoretical" Rocknak says, but instead, "is meant to illicit a visceral response from the viewer." As an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Hartwick College in Oneonta, NY, she saves all her theory for her academic work. "My art is a relief from high-brow thinking, from philosophy, from overt displays of cleverness." Her figures have an arresting immediacy that resonates with virtually everyone, from the child to the octogenarian.

          Although Rocknak has been sculpting for over 22 years, the artist did not make any of her work public until 1999. Since then, her sculptures have been included in over 40 shows, including the traveling show "Captive Passage," which has been hosted by 5 major east-coast Museums, including the Smithsonian and the South Street Seaport Museum. Her work has also been featured in 3 books and over 29 magazines newspapers, including Arts and Antiques, ROJO magazine (Spain), Craft Arts International (Austrialia) and the cover of Sculptural Pursuit. The artist work will also be on view at the upcoming 74th Annual Exhibition of the National Sculptural Society. The exhibition will be on display from January to March at the National Association of Women Artists gallery at 80 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1405, New York, New York, 10011.