The exhibition Joel Janowitz | Mark Cooper at Jane Deering Gallery opens June 13th, 2026 runs thru Sunday July 12th, 2026

More from Jane Deering about the artists and the show:

Joel Janowitz and Mark Cooper—two Boston-based artists, each with an international reputation—share a friendship that spans decades. Their working studios are on the same Boston street; and as such, they often meet for lunch where the conversation invariably focuses on art. They admire and encourage each other’s work, contrasting as it is, and relish the freedom to critique, which only a close friendship affords. Respect triumphs judgment. The artists also share a long history of exploring Cape Ann. Each has been galvanized by the physical and ephemeral nature of Gloucester and its surrounds, and have spent years exploring and enjoying the beauty of Cape Ann. Their experiences are expressed in very different yet conversant artistic outcomes.

Cooper has been coming here for fifty years and writes

“My creative efforts have always been idea based…The beauty of the ocean, the giant stones, the quarries, the beaches, the sand, the grass, the birds, and the plants meld in my subconscious and are reflected in my art. …
After so many visits, I still discover new things each time – a new quarry or flower as well as a
new look at a familiar view.”

-Mark Cooper

Janowitz’s history in Gloucester and its vicinity spans more than thirty-five years. The region has served as one of the most important and influential motifs in his oeuvre. As he explains

“I’ve explored and painted throughout Cape Ann, and worked directly on-site, painting oils and
watercolors of the area’s abundant beauty. These on-site observations become my source
material.”

-Joel Janowitz

This exhibition is a look at how two renowned contemporary artists—and friends—uniquely interpret their shared reverence for and the inspirations they glean from Cape Ann.

For Cooper, the elements he explores are an inspiration for collage and assemblage, as well as for ceramics, often derived from underwater forms. “The art I create is non-narrative, allowing for viewers to bring their own history and experiences to engage with my work. Elements can be seemingly unrelated, even contradictory; yet these interactions produce a more meaningful and immersive whole. The discovery of unexpected connections is inviting for the viewer and leads to new meanings and greater imagination.”

Janowitz explains his work as addressing his curiosity about the emotive and psychological potentials of pictorial space. “I’ve created numerous series, each centered on the capability of a spatial structure to carry meaning. I explore the known and the unknowable; order and randomness; the abstract and the ambiguous; and the sense of anticipation and inevitability. Often I work en-plein-air, observing situations such as a figure jumping into the ocean, or a log slowing engulfed by water; and I look closely at materials as well—the granite quarries, the rocky shorelines. All of this make up the essence of the Cape. Once in my studio, these plein-air references allow for small observations to emerge into formidable, large-scale works.”

But is there a conversant among the contrasting presentations of their work? a dialogue to unlock? a kinship to discover? It has always been the intent of the gallery that viewers would observe and discover relationships among artworks. In this particular exhibition, finding connections among these works requires curiosity and a close look.

Gallery hours: Fridays or & Saturdays 1-5pm . Sundays 1-4pm
and by appointment @ 917-902-4359 . info@janedeeringgallery.com