The visitor is blown away when coming upon Monderer’s “East River” paintings in the small area that serves as a gallery at Maplewood Park Place.  Monderer's panoramic view of the southern end of Manhattan consists of five canvases. In them one not only sees the sweep of the river, but is drawn in by the vibrancy of the scene.  The artist uses color in a bold, forthright manner as seen in "East River" pictured above. 

Monderer’s choice of architectural scenes as subjects range from large, over-views to up-close frontal views of building facades with street-level  shops and apartrments above.  Above the colorful shop fronts, we delight in the all-over patterns created by open and closed windows.  “Under the Westside Highway” captures a dramatic scene.  The stark contrast between the shadowy blacks under the highway, and the sun-blanched buildings on the other side of the street demonstrate the artist’s grasp of composition.

Monderer has an MFA from The American University and has worked at the Hirshhorn as a docent for many years, paints from photographs, using them as sketches, reinterpreting the information from her experience as both a pedestrian and architecture afficianado.  When comparing a photo source to a painting, we see how the artist pulls experiential aspects into the scene before us.  Stressing some areas and omitting others, she injects the human experience of how we live and work in constructed environments to make a coherent arrangement.

 Monderer’s cityscapes are alive with an appreciation for the sculptural elements, the open boulevards and spaces for strolling and air, and the colors that make up a metropolis.