New York City - The chance to show in Chelsea at the height of the New York season was a very welcomed event for several East End artists who showcased their work on the broad canvas of Manhattan's trendy art district. Such is the case for East Hampton painter Mark Perry who, under the auspices of an interesting co-operative, New Century Artists, presented his first New York solo show.

Concurrently, in another wing of their sprawling Chelsea venue, New Century Artists opened a group show titled "In Chelsea," featuring names well known to East End art followers. Included in the group show are works by Southampton photographer Pamela Camhe, abstracts from Argentinean painter Rosario Valera, swirling abstracts by Mark Mulholland and works by Neil Bernstein.

Showing in a prestigious Chelsea gallery is often a dream and a validation for many regional and international artists. After all, this is the big playground where critically acclaimed majors such as North Haven's April Gornik show regularly to great critical and public reception – and major sales, one might add.

Pamela Camhe and her new photographs, "Auto Reflective Series."

Southampton's Marilyn Stevenson, a well known artist and a major figure on the Hamptons art scene, curated both shows for New Century Artists Gallery of which she is assistant director and curator. Impressed by Perry's recent well received solo outing, "Interludes" at Surface Library last spring, Stevenson offered the engaging painter a solo show for this collection, "Natural Surroundings" -- Non-Scientific Landscape Paintings.

Perry, a New Wave landscape painter, has over the last few years delighted art scene regulars with his very "upfront and personal" approach to landscape painting. For him it is all about the detail not the sweeping vista. When viewing a subject for one of his canvases, Mark seems to dissect the elements, bringing them into focus on a very specific item - a knot in a tree, an unusual overlay of branches, the way in which the wind bends a small patch of grass - all become trademark subjects for Perry.

Often beginning with a photograph of a setting and then isolating one specific element that speaks to him, Perry's paintings give you that perspective of looking through a telescope at very, very close range. You can almost imagine him sitting on the deck of his home overlooking Three Mile Harbor and zeroing in on just one tiny element before picking up his brush.

For the last few years, Mark's work has been included in a number of group shows in the area. But it was his work in a show organized by fellow artist Haim Mizrahi at LTV Studios that brought him to the attention of Marilyn Stevenson several years ago. Impressed by Perry's well received solo outing at Surface Library last spring, Stevenson offered him a solo show for this collection, "Natural Surroundings."

Argentinean born Rosario Varela's abstract shapes are broadly drawn across the canvas.

In recent works, Perry's inspiration has come from places he has visited - mangrove swamps in Florida, desert palms in California, fields filled with flowers, clover or wheat and great grassy plains. For this series, birch trees were clearly the dominant subject with Mark rendering his details in day- glow green to great effect for these oils on canvas. The twisting and criss-crossing of bare trees are stunning and have an almost hypnotic effect.

In Chelsea
Moving into the other wing, we took in the group show "In Chelsea." Group shows such as this one are often great opportunities to either see the latest work of an artist or to be introduced to work that is totally new and refreshing. Such was the case here in catching up with Mark Mulholland whose work was shown at Ashawagh Hall and drew raves from a number of quarters. Ditto with Pamela Camhe who offered, "Auto Reflective Series" - photographs with a funhouse tone to them, taking a departure from her previous work. Playfully, she captures the reflections of the urban landscape through car windows and mirrors. Well known for over 30 years for her portraits and New York street scenes, Camhe moved to the East End in 2004 and continues to travel back to the city environs for her inspiration.

New On The Scene
Argentinean born Rosario Varela's abstract shapes were broadly drawn across the canvas. Having moved away from figurative drawing, Valera has clearly broken some new ground in her development and it will be interesting to see more of her work.

Also on display were works by Neil Bernstein, an artist who draws a certain amount of controversy in his memorial works (paintings, sculpture and architectural structures) exhibited and acquired by museums and collectors throughout the world. Historically grounded in world events, they use an ecclectic collision of disparate elements which range from the sacred to the profane.

Neil Bernstein, with wife Stephanie, in front of his new work.

As a working-artists cooperative, New Century Artists is a refreshing operation on the Chelsea art scene. Six times a year the gallery curates members' exhibitions. The rest of the shows are organized by guest curators. They exhibit work in all styles and media and artists participate in both group and solo exhibitions. The mission of New Century Artists, Inc. "is to encourage, support and exhibit the work of minority artists from under-represented communities such as gay and lesbian, various ethnic groups, people of color, differently abled, women, and artists of all ages including seniors and children."

No surprise that even on one of the coldest nights of the year the gallery was packed with numerous attendees from the East End who came in to attend the show.