by Sherry Karasik

MONTCLAIR, N.J. -- Art begins the language that is beyond language. An artist emerges on his/her medium -- paper, canvas, metal, glass or wood, and asks questions, poses answers, suggests meaning or meaninglessness. Their works are confessions and commentaries that stir a silent, interior dialogue with the world.

Montclair seems to be, as it has been throughout the last century, a place where a lot of "conversations" are transpiring. Sometimes referred to as New Jersey's upper West Side, ;the town in experiencing a greater influx of artists and Manhattanites in search of "room to live" as one artists says, without giving up cultural wealth. Many say Montclair is seeing an awakening just as Soho did before it became what it is today.

Throughout the urbanized town's web of streets, behind the flood of pedestrians, there is an eclectic collection of art galleries, each in a world of their own, worth "listening" to. As one would expect, where there are art galleries, you are likely to find artists. But the fact is the art colony has been embroidered into the community since the arrival of American landscape painter George Inness in the late 19th century, and has continued in the shadow and light of the world renown Montclair Art Museum. ...

The Midland Gallery, 13 Midland Avenue

Through October 3, the gallery will exhibit Christina Saj's artwork, an artist whose work has been shown in New York, Washington, D.C., Princeton, Chicago and Toronto. Saj's works lift ancient mythological themes to a modern day patina. Her work with religious icons and other symbols plunges the viewer into myth, and into its powerful message and contemporary significance. With this return to myth, to the basic reverence of life, to the search for the visible and the lost ritual of our contemporary society, Saj is dusting off and emblazoning a path both backwards and forwards. "It is my aim to assimilate the ancient vocabulary of icons and somehow capture their mystical quality," she says. "Icons express a sense of the invisible and their purpose is to exhibit transcendence from this world to the next."

Her works host such titles as "Faith Healers," "Eden" and "Descent into Limbo," each bringing a spiritual notion to life. "I do spiritual painting that a contemporary audience can understand," Saj says. "By taking and icon and distilling it down, I am prolonging church art." Her images are profound and multi-textural, yet simple. They make one's eyes snap open and cause one to dive far below the surface of daily life, into that space perhaps long forgotten or never explored. The work, on canvas, wood, steel and glass, are miniature, ordered playful universes in and of themselves.

"I want to give the world something meaningful. I want my work to show the essence of the human spirit," Saj says. "Look through them"