Merry-Go-Round, oil on canvas, 24″x 20″Reception: Saturday, November 18 from 5-7pm
On view Saturday, November 18 & Sunday, November 19 exclusively
This exhibit showcases the fascinating 50-year evolution of Anatol Woolf’s art, first as a daring young artist in the Soviet Union educated at St. Petersburg’s renowned Special School of the Academy of Arts; then as a political refugee navigating life in the market-driven artistic world of the United States in the late 1980s and early 1990s; and later as a mature artist, a master of his craft, yet continually experimenting with technique and subject matter.
Over the course of his entire career, Woolf has merged his classical training with a unique style to produce a powerful body of fine art. His paintings, which boast a wide spectrum of media, are often marked by a slightly surreal depiction of realistic scenes — at times reflecting the ephemeral, at times, the eternal. Whether it is a conceptual painting with a profound message, an impressionistic watercolor, or a carefully crafted editorial illustration, artistic integrity is a prevailing principle that has guided Woolf’s creative process throughout his life.
The exhibition title painting Merry-Go-Round (1991) depicts the iconic 19th-Century All Hallows Guild Carousel that has given joy to countless Washingtonians and visitors to Washington, DC for generations. On a more philosophical level, viewers of this piece and Woolf’s other multifaceted artworks may ponder the passing of time, magical moments of childhood, and traditions that bond us together as a community.
About the Artist
St. Petersburg native Anatol Woolf received his early art training at the Special School of the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg, Russia. He later attended the St. Petersburg Institute of Theater, Music, and Cinematography, where he specialized in set design. Since immigrating to the United States in 1987, Woolf has been working as a freelance illustrator, as well as fine artist and art teacher. His works have appeared in such publications as the Washington Post, The Washington Times, Legal Times, and National Geographic Traveler. Woolf has widely exhibited his paintings in the United States and Europe. His works are featured in the Zimmerli’s Norton and Nancy Dodge Collection of Nonconformist Art from the Soviet Union, housed in Zimmerli Art Museum, Rutgers University, as well in many private collections.
Gallery Hours
Saturday, November 18 from 12 to 5pm
Sunday, November 19 from 12 to 5pm
The Yellow Barn Gallery is located at 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo, MD.
Parking is available in the Glen Echo Park parking lot, 5801 Oxford Road. Handicap parking is available in the upper lot near the Yellow Barn entrance, right off MacArthur Blvd.
