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Brother and Sister Inspire Each Other in Art

Worcester, MA (September 14, 2006) - On Friday, September 15, the Emmanuel d’Alzon Arts Series will host a poetry reading with Brian Rye and John Hodgen. Rye is the younger brother of Professor Marlene Rye, a lecturer in art at Assumption. Marlene’s “Dream Journal” exhibition is currently on display in the Library through October 13.

If you were to read Bryan’s poetry apart from his sister’s art, the similarities would not jump out at you. Put the two side by side, though, and their collaborative spark of genius becomes immediately evident.

Bryan Rye currently attends Southern Connecticut State University. He is a junior majoring in English with a focus on creative writing. His interest in poetry dates back far before his college days. According to Bryan, “My interest in poetry arose out of a love of language. I like to hear, read, and say words. Thanks to a few middle school classes, I was introduced to some of the possibilities of poetry and I've been experimenting ever since.” At the age of thirteen, his eighth grade teacher took his class through a poetry unit. This drew out a love of language, which drove him to write short stories and his own poetry. He continues to be inspired by the works of great poets such as William Shakespeare, John Donne, and others. Furthermore, the Book of Psalms and the Prophets of the Old Testament also shape his works.

Marlene works on her landscape portraits in her studio and has an adjunct position as lecturer of art at the College. She received her M.F.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and has studied under several distinguished artists. Her interest in art began as a child. Her mother noticed her innate talent in her earliest drawings and encouraged the development of her gift. Today, her paintings are of abstract landscapes. She is inspired by the natural mystery of nature, and seeks to capture that in her pieces. On her Web site she notes, “Landscape, wilderness, and the outdoors are spiritually and emotionally important to all of us. As children we know this inherently. I want to speak to that child in the viewer, and help them recapture a sense of the mystery, anxiousness, excitement and magic felt when outdoors.”

The brother and sister, though, are thirteen years apart. It was not until Bryan left for college and Marlene was out in the world making a career for herself that they became close. In early 2004, while Marlene recovered from a terrible stint with pneumonia she invited Bryan to watch her work at her studio. She worked on her “Fall Flame” series, a set of dark, powerful, images of fiery fields that spark the mind. These pieces certainly sparked Bryan’s mind as they drove him to write poetry for each work in the series. He would read them to his sister and that would pull her painting in a new direction. Often, Marlene would hang her brother’s work on her studio walls for inspiration. Marlene commented that sometimes she invites her brother to visit when she is stuck or trying something new. That way, she gets a surge of energy from Bryan’s artistic vision.

Bryan is stirred by Marlene’s paintings. Bryan expressed, “Marlene paints in a way that frees the imagination from preconceptions of what the world looks like, from that freedom comes fantastic visions.” He finds the passion she pours into her work inspirational, and through the seemingly abstract shapes of her paintings he sees wildlife. Bryan’s imagery allows his sister to go back and exaggerate certain details or sometimes takes her work in new directions. Their collaborative efforts allow them to see each other’s work in new ways from each other’s perspectives, granting them freedom lone artists never truly enjoy.

Although the siblings have worked together since 2004, this will be the first time their work is publicly displayed together. When they first began working together, Bryan expected his poetry would be a personal hobby he would share with his sister. For Marlene, the idea was almost immediately in the back of her mind and they decided to turn their collaboration into a broader project. It is exhilarating for them that such a great opportunity has arisen this quickly.