Artist Linda Bigness to launch fall SUNY Oswego Metro Center exhibitions

Hidden surfaces within urban landscapes inspire Syracuse artist Linda Bigness, whose exhibition “Urban Beat: Recent Works in Encaustic and Oil” will run Aug. 26 to Oct. 22 at the SUNY Oswego Metro Center on Clinton Square.

A free public reception for the artist, a frequent exhibitor who has displayed her paintings in galleries internationally, will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 1, at SUNY Oswego Metro Center in the Atrium building, 2 Clinton Square in Syracuse. Bigness will speak at 6 p.m.

“When exploring an area of a city where urban renewal has infiltrated into the deteriorated architecture, time passed is revealed,” Bigness said in an artist’s statement. “Demolished walls expose another time and hidden signs of another era. Renewal often brings into the viewer’s vision a time that reflects different cultures and ideas. Over time, these remnants have been buried within the worn walls and structures.”

Her first book, “Paint It, Tear It, Create It,” offered insight into visual abstract thinking through the process of collage into painting. Bigness continues to explore the abstract through surface manipulation using encaustic—a layering technique in which beeswax and resin are heated—and oils. She is currently working on a new series, Urban Undercurrents, some of which will be on display at SUNY Oswego Metro Center, according to Amy Bartell, who as assistant director of the college’s Tyler Art Gallery organizes exhibitions at the gallery’s Metro Center branch.

Bigness’ work has been exhibited in several prestigious solo and group shows that have involved notable jurors such as art critic Clement Greenberg; Ivan Karp, director of OK Harris Gallery in New York City; and Tom Piche, director of the Daum Museum of Contemporary Art in Sedalia, Missouri.

The artist’s large-scale paintings are often selected and commissioned for corporate and residential clients, including the Turning Stone Resort; Merrill Lynch; Haylor, Freyer and Coon; and Bausch & Lomb.

Bigness holds a bachelor of fine arts degree from Syracuse University and a master of arts in art history. She also teaches workshops about oil painting and mixed-media collage.

SUNY Oswego Metro Center is open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. Weekend and evening hours vary, and are available by calling 315-399-4100. For more information on this exhibition, call the SUNY Oswego art department at 315-312-2112.