Horizons: Paintings by Janet Langsam
In her Horizons series, artist and arts advocate Janet Langsam meditates on the shifting appearance of the horizon line across the four seasons.
Janet Langsam (American, b. 1935). Horizons One, 1969–1971. Acrylic on raw canvas. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Jeana Wunderlich.
For millennia, people have looked into the distance and found the horizon, grounding themselves in the everpresence of earth meeting sky. In this series, artist and arts advocate Janet Langsam meditates on the horizon and its shifting appearance across the four seasons. “The recurrence of horizons is comforting,” she explains. “For me it is an affirmation that one season will follow another, much like the day follows the night. This installation of four of my largest paintings is about the ebb and flow of seasons and my lifelong reverence for nature.” Shown together here for the first time, Langsam’s Horizons series is introduced by a selection of landscapes from the Hudson River Museum’s collection.
Langsam’s lifelong fascination with the horizon has roots in her childhood in Bayswater, Queens, on the Rockaway Peninsula. She grew up experiencing ocean views and the beach, where water meets sky in clean linearity. In each of these abstract canvases, Langsam emphasizes the horizon by expanding the line into a band, creating a three-part composition that becomes a recurring visual motif and a point of connection. Reveling in color on this monumental scale led her to think of seasonal changes as a point of departure for this series. Together, these paintings surround the viewer in a panorama that conveys Langsam’s love of the creative process and of the natural world that has inspired artists for generations.
A well-known figure in the Westchester arts community, Langsam studied painting at New York University in the 1960s and exhibited in Manhattan galleries as well as internationally, via the United States Information Agency, before serving as the CEO of ArtsWestchester for thirty-three years. During her tenure there, she was a tireless advocate for artists and expanded the organization’s support of regional creatives to include exhibitions, programs, performances, and teaching opportunities that greatly enriched residents’ access to a full spectrum of the arts. Throughout her career in arts administration, Langsam remained a visual artist.
Exhibitions are made possible by assistance provided by the County of Westchester.
Selected objects
Janet Langsam (American, b. 1935). Horizons Three, 1969–1972. Acrylic on raw canvas. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Jeana Wunderlich.
Janet Langsam (American, b. 1935). Horizons Two, 1969–1971. Acrylic on raw canvas. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Jeana Wunderlich.
Janet Langsam (American, b. 1935). Horizons Four, 1969–1972. Acrylic on raw canvas. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Jeana Wunderlich.
Janet Langsam (American, b. 1935). Horizons One, 1969–1971. Acrylic on raw canvas. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Jeana Wunderlich.
