By:JOSEPH KELLARD
I get many people who say the gallery looks like it should be in SoHo, or that it reminds them of a gallery on Madison Avenue, said Ilanit Alon, co-owner of the Little Elephant. To me, those are the biggest compliments.
While its paintings center on Asian and Buddhist themes, the Little Elephant displays works reflective of Western artists, from colorful forestry scenes that evoke the Impressionists to still-lifes that capture the clarify of 17th century Dutch masters. The gallery-s cream-colored walls presently bear three paintings of Buddha heads by such unknowns as Nopprateep Musigaper, Akkawit Kuesom and Manu. These pieces feature the same meditative expression, but each artists- style, use of color and other distinctions shine through.
Manu-s painting says, okay, I-m going to stay within the traditional depictions of the Buddha, but I-m going to make it my own, Alon said as she explained traditionalism in Buddhist art. And he does it with new patterns and modern coloration.
The Little Elephant-s largest painting, Plumeria, depicts this tropical flower with minute sharpness, right down to the fuzz on its steams. This piece, set in an elaborate frame carved from a single block of wood, goes for $7,200, making it the gallery-s costliest item.
While paintings start at around $400, the gallery-s range of items and prices begin with silk-thread pillows from Kashmir at $32, and escalate to carvings of little teak wood elephants and large floral wall panels for a few thousand dollars. Other items include wooden bathing buckets from China and bronze horse statues from West Africa. Among the antiques are 19th-century Chinese offering bowls and century-old teak wood Buddhas from India. Accompanying the art and antiques are museum-like cards that describe each piece, whether its history, symbolic meaning, or other relevant information that Alon researched herself.
With a bachelors in art history from Arizona State University and a masters in art from C.W. Post University, having worked in various galleries and auction houses, and teaching art at Lawrence High School, Alon ably guides her patrons through her gallery with curator-like professionalism. During the Herald-s visit last week, she waxed philosophical about Bodhisattvas, the meaning of a temple in Cambodia, and the enlightened smile of the Buddha.
My passion is about the art, said Alon, who co-owns the gallery with her husband, Jeff Alon, and her brother, Lee Trink. I love talking about it, I love learning about it... But we try to purchase things that are beautiful to the eye, and you don-t necessarily have to Ôget- what the subject or work itself is about.
For Alon, owning a gallery in the town where she grew up and now resides is a desire come true. She-d long been drawn to art and antique galleries and shops, particularly those in the Hamptons. But it was while she was in a South Beach gallery in April that explains the origin of the Little Elephant. There she found sculptures of Buddhist and Hindu subjects that reminded her of the art decorating her brother-s apartment.
Trink, a manager for Lava Records, travels far and wide and has filled his Manhattan pad with works from Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. His sister called him immediately from Miami to pitch the idea of opening their own place. Five months later, the Little Elephant put its welcome mat down at the Lincoln Plaza.
While my sister is shouldering virtually all of the business, Trink said, I really find I enjoy seeking out the art overseas, dealing with the artists and possibly breaking them here in the states.
After several relatives and friends, including a gallery owner in Manhattan, paid him glowing compliments about his art collection, Trink figured he had a knack for finding intriguing art. Finding good pieces priced over $10,000 is relatively easy, he said, but with less expensive art it gets more difficult separating the schlock from the diamonds in the rough. There-s something exciting about going out in the world to find the art, he explained. And I think personally going to Asia to seek out the art adds a different dimension to our gallery.
Through his work in the music industry, Trink is finding increasingly more artists wanting to display their work at the Little Elephant. Meanwhile, Alon recently made contacts with interested Israeli and Canadian artists, will bring in more imports like textiles from India and Africa, and plans to offer jewelry by the New Year.
The art and antiques here will constantly be changing every few months, Alon vowed. In a sense, the gallery is like a baby that we are nurturing and growing.
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