Alpaslan’s impressionistic paintings bring life into (soft) focus

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About 140 years after a critic snidely coined the term to deride renegade artists in France, only to see them embrace the concept and turn it into one of the pinnacles of western art — Impressionism lives!

Works by a Riverdale Art Association member currently on display at the Riverdale-Yonkers Society of Ethical Culture might remind you of city scenes by Caillebotte and landscapes by Monet.

A number of Orhan Alpaslan’s paintings are on display at the local center all this month.

The Turkish-born painter got his start in patriotic competitions during his high school days, winning prizes for a portrait of Turkish founding father Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and other works.

He went on to a career making sets and costumes for the state theaters in Ankara and Istanbul, earning major accolades for those efforts.

All the while, Mr. Alpaslan continued to paint, paint, paint, producing luscious images of café-goers, people watchers and nature lovers — in other words, some of the most beloved subjects of Monet and friends.

“All color gives me inspiration,” Mr. Alpaslan said in an artist’s statement. “The vantage provided by sentiment and longing is very important, so, I am looking for the beauties of each subject with all my soul.”

“Artistic scenes have always been fascinating to me, while vivid color and powerful light are indispensable components of my work,” continued the painter, who has studied in Canada, England and the U.S.

Paintings like “Midnight in Old Downtown” make good on Mr. Alpaslan’s words. His watery strokes turn an urban intersection into a vista as dreamy as one of the original Impressionists’ absinthe-fueled works.

Creations featured on his website, www.orhanalpaslan.com, show young street musicians, intriguing women and the artist himself.

The self-portrait seems to capture the most important parts of the artist’s world: his concentrated face, a mirror in the background revealing his brushstroke and two Impressionist paintings hanging from his walls.

Mr. Alpaslan’s paintings are on display at the Riverdale-Yonkers Society for Ethical Culture, located at 4450 Fieldston Road, through the end of the month. The exhibit is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Sundays from 12:30 to 1 p.m. Call ahead at 718-548-4445 to plan your visit.

Orhan Alpaslan, Riverdale Art Association, Impressionism, Shant Shahrigian

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