John Kochansky Show Opens at McKay Imaging

Six years ago local photographers Bob and Liz McKay were in the process of opening their studio and gallery on Monmouth Street in Red Bank when an estranged high school friend of Bob's, John Kochansky, stopped in to offer his well wishes and his assistance in their renovation.

"I hadn't seen him for almost 10 years when he reappeared in our lives. We were busy fixing up the gallery and wondering which artist our first gallery show would feature when John started hinting that he would like to show us his work," McKay said. 

Kochansky was a prolific artist of many mediums, including pastels, paint, pen and ink, watercolor and assemblage art, but not photography. The McKays had decided when they opened their gallery that it was strictly going to be a space for photography shows. Kochansky was told that his work did not fit their format. 

As McKay tells it, a few days later, he reappeared at the gallery with a series of  vintage photographic portraits that he had collected from thrift shops and antique stores, which been had treated with bleaches, dyes and organic materials, including coffee, to create or recreate a piece of photo-art.  

"They were so beautiful that we quickly rationalized showing them by saying, 'well, they are photographs.' Anyone who saw that show will not soon forget the eclectic collection of found objects that John had crafted into thought provoking works of art," said McKay.

That show was fittingly titled, Found, Not Lost works by John Kochansky, fitting because it suited both the artform, the reimagination and new life Kochansky gave to discarded images that were once likely lovingly captured and cherished, but also because of the rekindled friendship between the McKays and Kochansky, forged by the opening and the show. McKay said that show, their first, was one of their most successful to date.

Three months later Kochansky died suddenly. Afflicted with hemophilia, Kochansky unknowingly ruptured his spleen from a sneeze and died some days later at hospital. He left a wife and a 12-year-old daughter, Karly.

His passing galvanized Kochansky's family and friends in an effort to show the more than 1000 pieces that he left behind. It was decided as well, that Kochansky's work would be photographed, archived and released for sale to the public. A bank account was set up and The Karly Kochansky Scholarship Fund was created, with all proceeds of all sales going towards sending Kochansky's daughter, Karly, to college.

The first show took place at Kochansky's favorite local gallery, Gallery 31 in Freehold. Soon after came an exhibit at McKay Imaging Gallery offering the second posthumous installation of Kochansky's work, a collection of vibrant drawings, paintings and sculpture that highlighted Kochansky's artistic spirit and bizarre sense of humor.

On June 17th Kochansky's third gallery show at McKay, his second posthumous show, will open. It is also a fundraiser for Kochansky's daughter's college fund and has been curated from her father's vast legacy of work by Karly herself. She graduates this spring and intends on attending Brookdale Community College.

McKay offered this caveat for his old friend's newest show, "please attend this exhibit with your imagination loosely strapped in place and/or a desire to fill those empty spaces on your walls with bright, colorful smatterings of humor and cheer!"

All proceeds from sales and auctions directly benefit the Karly Kochansky Scholarship Fund. Opening reception is from 7 - 10pm.  Entry is free.