William P. Folchi (1922-1992) and his son, John Folchi (b. 1955), have depicted scenes of Bronx more than a half-century apart. Though different in style, their small-scale works provide engaging views of the visual landscape of the borough.
Approaching their environment from different perspectives, William found most of his subjects out-of-doors, rendering a slice of the urban vista, while John selects close-up views of what we see when we look down, magnifying industrial elements found in the streets of New York.
The works of both father and son will be on display in the Third Floor Gallery at Mahopac Public Library now through January 29, 2017. The public is invited to view the work during regular library hours.
William P. Folchi’s paintings depict Bronx scenes around the neighborhoods of his Morris Park home and Pelham Parkway automotive business. The paintings capture a bygone era—bucolic views of Williamsbridge Road before it was developed, a vacant lot at the corner of Lydig Avenue, and green backyards strung with clotheslines. Several of the works are painted from the elevated perspective of a window in the family’s Yates Avenue home, offering a birds-eye view of this Bronx neighborhood.
John Folchi’s first teacher was his father who taught him the basics of anatomy and took him to museums to see the work of old and modern masters. Folchi’s Gas Plate Series, and his Streetscape Series, depict overlooked industrial elements and the bustle of traffic on the streets of New York. John elevates gas and water main covers from something banal into decorative and patterned design elements. His Gas Plate paintings are luminescent, realistically rendered but with a focus on the organic texture and deterioration of these utilitarian objects.
John Folchi earned an MFA from Lehman College, and has exhibited in group shows in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Long Island City, New Rochelle, and in North Carolina. He has been featured in solo shows at the Warner Library in Tarrytown, and at the Gallery on Cedar in Dobbs Ferry. For more information about John Folchi, pleae visit here.
To learn more about the Third Floor Gallery at Mahopac Public Library, please visit here, or call 845–628–2009, ext. 108.