Gold Puts on a Grand Show

Local art impresario Fay Gold hosted an art opening on Oct. 22 at Buckhead Art & Company. The show’s star was Amy Rader, known for her large-scale imagery, often displayed in hospitality spaces and important private residences; and Marlene Rose, a glass cast sculptor.

Ever the hawk eye for talent, Gold was described by Rose as “an Atlanta icon and art gallerist extraordinaire who has worked with many of the ‘greats’ in the art world, from Neoexpressionist Jean-Michel Basquiat to Robert Mapplethorpe,” a controversial photographic artist known for his sexually explicit images.

Rose, who attended Tulane University, was raised in New York. She was previously featured on CBS’s “Sunday Morning” and has been working for the past 30 years on a relatively new casting technique where she pours liquid molten glass into a sand mold which then cools for a week before she unearths its beauty.

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Marlene Rose poses in front of her “Butterfly Mandala” offered at $99,000.

One of the highlights of the show was her “Butterfly Mandala” consisting of 28 glass butterflies arranged in concentric circles. (A mandala is a geometric configuration of symbols.) Her “Japanese Kimono,” which was cast out of seven pieces of glass, was located center stage for the show. She also displayed treatments of Buddha’s horses and abstract pieces. The Mandala piece was offered at $99,000, the “Three-Headed Buddha” at $24,600.

Of Rose, Gold said, “I have exhibited Marlene’s sculpture for over two decades. She has explored a difficult technique and pushed the boundaries of contemporary art. She is a trail blazer drawing inspiration from the spiritual contents of ancient cultures. She has achieved international recognition as a woman artist in museums and galleries around the world. One might say ’she is the Buddha’ by her own living in the moment.”

Amy Rader, adorned in sapphire lace, stands by her agate painting.

A graduate of Art Institute of Atlanta, Rader has carved out a unique niche with her treatments of traditional art and large-scale pieces seen in private collections, luxury high rise buildings, restaurants, and corporate offices. She was selected by Tesla and Microsoft to represent them at Miami’s Art Basel. Rader enjoyed the success of the evening and the day of. She related, “A collector snapped up three of my pieces during installation before they were even hung for the Saturday show. Then bought two more pieces soon after.”

Gold said, “Amy is admired for her technical skills, precise draftsmanship, and often striking and bizarre images. In a surrealistic style, she explores subconscious imagery in worlds of animals, fashion, rock fragments, light and people. Samples of Rader’s work that night were “Dreamcatcher No. 4” at $11,500, and “Rhett” at $16,000.

Vibrant owner of Buckhead Art & Company, Katie Jones interned at the gallery before taking it over four years ago. She enjoyed mingling with the Jewish fan-based show and introduced her fiancé, Alberto Mizrahi, owner of Sky Shield Roofing.

(From left) Stephen Isaf, Cynthia Kerker Isaf, and Jack Kerker use Rose’s “Three-Headed Buddhas” as the background.

Collector and Buckhead neighbor, Joanne Truffelman, who had just returned from a whirlwind tour of New York City museums and theatres said, “Aren’t I lucky to have Fay as a dear friend, and, of course, she helped me with the art and design in my apartment in her wonderful taste.”

Not part of the special exhibit, the gallery also featured unusual works by Daniel Maltzman, David Schwartz (known for his treatment of the American flag and seascapes), and Mark Boomershine, among others. An original Andy Warhol soup can dress (1962) was available at $28,000.