Rider Climbing ‘Tree of Life’
Art gallery brings Aleksandr Manusov’s works to students

By Madeleine Johnson


Upon walking into Rider’s art gallery, one is immediately hit by the vivid and lively colors that trick the eye into believing these pieces of artwork are anything but stationary. It is not until one looks closer and sees the pained faces and serene human figures that the emotional intensity of Manusov’s art is fully realized in the exhibit, The Tree of Life – Aleksandr Manusov.

Janet Kennedy, an Indiana University professor of art history who specializes in 19th- and 20th-century Russian art, knows both what it is like to familiarize oneself with Manusov’s works and that it takes time to interpret their full meanings.

“I don’t feel that the different subjects are perhaps easy to get into,” Kennedy said. “These people [in his art] first looked to me as though they were kind of unhappy. I think I really see it more now in Biblical terms of withdrawing into the desert. You have to step outside of life, you have to have the quiet that leads to transformation and purification in terms of change.”

Kennedy, who gave a gallery talk on Thursday, Nov. 17, discussing how the elements of earth, air and fire are used in Manusov’s pieces, finds his work both remarkable and memorable.

“I’m really delighted that I came to New Jersey to see the works, because they’re beautiful,” Kennedy said. “His art really stands out in my mind because it is big and intense and bold.”

Irene Goldman, guest curator of this exhibit, also finds Manusov’s art to be exceptional.

“I met [Manusov] through his widow, rescuing an exhibition of artwork that hadn’t been returned to the artists,” Goldman said. “I was taken by his extraordinary art. His talent in using color in unique ways is something that other artists strive for.”

This is Manusov’s first solo exhibit in the United States, according to Goldman. While she never knows what kind of reaction to expect from the public, she is thrilled with this exhibit’s reception.

“You never know what the response will be,” Goldman said. “I didn’t think people would be disappointed, and I was right. I’m touched by the response of the students. It’s been beautiful.”

Harry I. Naar, a Rider University fine arts professor and the director of the art gallery, was introduced to Manusov when Goldman bought the works to his attention.

“Irene came to me and talked about this artist,” Naar said. “We worked hand in hand in selecting the work. She had an idea of what she wanted the exhibit to look like.”

Like both Kennedy and Goldman, Naar came away from Manusov’s paintings with a definite impression of what they expressed.

“The majority of his work really exudes a powerful sense of life,” Naar said. “But this is just a small portion of his work that fits into the curator’s focus of The Tree of Life.”

Since Manusov died in 1990, this is a retrospective of his work. While Kennedy, Goldman and Naar have never met him, Goldman still feels as though she’s forged a bond with Manusov.

“It seems to me that I’ve known him all his life,” Goldman said. “I feel lucky to know this artist.”

The Tree of Life – Aleksandr Manusov will be on display in the art gallery until Thursday, Dec. 8. The gallery is open from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m., every Tuesday through Thursday and from noon until 4 p.m. on Sundays.