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PICKED RAW PEELED We encourage writers to develop their voice while writing about visual arts events in the San Diego County. We intend to avoid art speak so the average reader can understand the text without a masters degree in art history. Louisa Garcia, Sheena Ghanbari, Katherine Sweetman and Lesley Ma are reporting on the Picked RAW events. Our thanks to Ann White for her brilliant proofing and to Karla Duarte, Ana Laura Zúñiga and Felipe Zúñiga for occasional translations... See Picked RAW picks Read other art reviews at: Art As Authority on SDVAN , Sezio,and if you hear of other sites, let us know! Interested in wrting yourself? We would love to hear from you. Read archived Picked RAW Peeled for 2008 and 2009 NEW Lesley Ma: State of Mind: A California Invitational at the Museum of Photographic Arts Katherine Sweetman: Michele Guieu Takes Command at The Art Produce Gallery State of Mind: A California Invitational by Lesley Ma State of Mind: A California Invitational , a sum view of the latest photographic practices of twenty-one Californian artists is presented at the Museum of Photographic Arts presents The exhibition is one view from Feb 6 to June 6, Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 5pm. More info: Jana Holsenback 619.238.7559 I have been eager to learn more about Californian art and sensibility since moving to San Diego six months ago. “State of Mind: A California Invitational,” a first-of-its-kind juried exhibition at the Museum of Photographic Arts (MoPA), offers several perspectives. The show’s twenty-one participants are selected from a pool of photographers nominated by respected art institutions and professionals in the state. The artists, many of whom devote their time to teaching the next generation of Californian artists, turn their cameras to nature, literature, suburban culture and landscape, history, constellation, and the photographic process for inspiration. The featured works present tellingly diverse interests not necessarily exclusive to California, but they reflect the state of the photographic mind today. A few works struck a chord with me. Three selections from Susan Rankaitis’ Interoception (all 2008) series are drawings involving collage and organic exposure on photographic paper, a direct extension of the artist’s mind. A graceful combination of enigmatic abstract marks and microscopic images, along with intentional blanks in the composition, create a cartographic record of the picture making process. Todd Hido’s roadside landscape series Roaming (three of which are shown, between 2006 and 2008), double-filtered through his camera and his car window, continues the American tradition of “road photography” with a blurry twist. Shot with color film, Hido portrays the edge of civilization in Northern towns with a heavy gray, smudgy palette. The wet windshield gives the low-hanging clouds and gloomy horizon an atmospheric, ink splash effect. The lone photographer confined in his car seems to find solace in the desolate trees in the drizzling rain, which are suspended in time. Moving further into nature, Brian Forrest’s two photographs from 2006, steeped in various shades of gray and black, wrap a deep corner of a canyon forest at dusk in mystery. Once my eyes adjusted to the darkness within the frame, a mesmerizing field of patterns created by the branches, leaves, bushes, and barks was revealed to my delight. With no traces of civilization, the scarce natural light allows the organic energy of nature, disorganized yet following its own logic, to exude through the work. The most somber work in the show is Ken Gonzales-Day’s Erased Lynching series (2006) where he investigates the neglected history of Latino, Native American and Asian-American lynching victims in California. In the 15 appropriated photographs, the artist removed the victims and ropes from archival postcards, showing the voided “climactic” point in the composition. He asks us to re-think the dark history of America with a sharper focus not only on those who were persecuted, but also on the social apparatus that created the tragedies. In light of the recent racial incidents on the UCSD campus—one involving a noose—Gonzales-Day’s series eerily underscores the danger of forgetting prejudiced history in our immediate environment. The irresistible visual lure of the works in “State of Mind” embodies compelling forces: I was pushed to think beyond the printed surface and linger within the picture frame at the same time. The elegantly installed exhibition showed not just the relationship between man-made and natural landscapes, but also the artistic attention to the living environment and multiple (and troubled) histories—and most importantly, the artists’ generosity of sharing their discoveries. Lesley Ma is currently pursuing her Ph. D. in Art History, Theory, and Criticism at the University of California, San Diego. She graduated from Harvard College and received her M. A. in Museum Studies from New York University. She is an editor of Lovely Daze, an artist publication out of Paris.Allison Renshaw: Plastic Fantastic by Lesley Ma Allison Renshaw: Plastic Fantastic is opening on Sat. Jan 30, 5 -7 pm at the Oceanside Museum of Art ( 704 Pier View Way, Oceanside , 92054) There is a gallery Walk and Talk with Renshaw on Thurs. Feb 25, 7 pm and the show continues until June 20. More info: Danielle Susalla 760.435.3720 Allison Renshaw’s solo exhibition, “Plastic Fantastic,” consists of 25 dazzling mixed media paintings made between 2006 and 2009. Each work is an assemblage of images of luxury and leisure products and female bodies with overlapping painted and decorative motifs. The printed photographs are mostly from glossy fashion, surfing, and art magazines. Many are arranged in a spiral formation; others simulate downward slides. As the title of a painting summarizes, Chutes Too Narrow (2008), the arrangement of images in the series seems like suspended action inside an overfilled chute. Subscribing to the Surrealist (non-)logic and adopting the techniques of contemporary video editing, Renshaw creates a centrifuge that sucks one into her world—one which we all inhabit. When we get past the initial retinal stimulation, we find ourselves seduced by haute couture, designer jewelry, bikini-clad bodies, robotic parts, and beach scenes. Renshaw then skillfully pulls us from the swirls to the painting’s surface by strategically placing irregular-shaped painted blots throughout the plane. In Pervette (2009), green egg-shaped blots are interspersed between peachy satin and drapery; in Tiny Little Sparks (2009), hot pink teardrops and silver light flashes punctuate an industrial gray background. Once our eyes catch a stopper, we suddenly notice all of them in the composition. They disrupt the flow of the images and call our attention to the painter’s presence. They urge us to stand still—visually and physically—before moving forward. The viewing becomes a game of free association*, but Renshaw does not make it easy; all of the borrowed images are touched by the painter’s brush or scissors. The artist manipulates the images of perfectly airbrushed models so that their faces are obscured. Is she commenting on the blindfolded, homogenous desire for material goods in our society? Or suggesting they are disposable? Despite the chaotic appearance, why do these items look so right together? One of the most attractive works, Chlorophyll Gum (2009), opens the show. Commissioned by the museum, the 72-by-96-inch work represents the intertwined worlds of fashion, fine art, and nature. An advertisement for a Deutsche Guggenheim exhibition is torn but focuses on a gum dispenser. Last season’s most coveted stilettos and bags are juxtaposed with larger-than-life sushi rolls. An upside-down image resembling the Arsenale in Venice is pasted next to verdant plants. The reference-laden painting stirs our cognitive stock and leaves us with plenty of question marks and blanks in which to insert our imagination. The series exemplifies some of the most common everyday activities: downloading and browsing. Renshaw’s work alludes to the open source culture, as the curator’s wall text suggests. She fuses the two- and three-dimensional and replicates the rapid flashing and concoction of images we see in contemporary media. The dormant images from ads stored in our memory are activated by the paintings, as the artist challenges us to rethink their purpose of occupying our mind and visual space. This exercise lingers as we exit the museum into the Oceanside sky and ocean, giving the urban desires an otherworldly feel. * The show ends with Untitled (2009) accompanied by a write-and-post station that encourages the visitors to contribute to a competition for the title, inspired by their viewing experience of the work. Lesley Ma is currently pursuing her Ph. D. in Art History, Theory, and Criticism at the University of California, San Diego. She graduated from Harvard College and received her M. A. in Museum Studies from New York University. She is an editor of Lovely Daze, an artist publication out of Paris. In the Garden of Mythos by Louisa Garcia The Martha Pace Swift Gallery Grand Opening (Building 201, NTC, 2820 Roosevelt Road, SD, 92106) is coming to soon! The inaugural exhibit The Garden of Mythos: Abstraction in Collaboration with Nature- Anna Zappoli curated by the Expressive Arts Institute is on view with an opening reception at 6 to 9 pm on Feb 5. Show continues until April 2. Admissions is free. For more info: Judith Greer Essex 619 239 1713 Dear Daniel, I have come to invite you with me on a journey. It is a journey that can be taken without steps, without leaving your room. It is a journey that I wish not to take alone but with you, and not in any normal mode of transportation but through the wonderful rise and fall of words, beautiful, dancing words. I visited the Martha Swift Gallery yesterday and have come away feeling light, almost as if I have grown wings and have taken to the sky. Will you join me? In the Garden of Mythos two people It is as if Anna Zappolli was hiding behind her paintings, hanging so innocently on the walls. She whispered as I passed, told me the secrets that only the birds know. I tried to answer her, to bury myself in the hard earth, so that I might grow, green and filled with life. Daniel, you are the man in the paintings, deep in the earth, beside me, sharing the sun, as we grow and grow and grow. I shall write again soon, on paper, made from the trees, their skin, my pen, together, making love as I tell you about my day. Until next time, sweet blue bird, I love you. From the Garden, Louisa Garcia is a Rehabilitation Specialist by day, Writer by night who lives in Carlsbad, CA with her loving husband David. In her spare time, she loves to read, do Bikram Yoga, hang out with her fabulous friends and relax on the beach with her new husband. Circle of Complication by Sheena Ghanbari Circle of Complication showcases the kinetic sculpture and drawings of David Ghilarducci. The exhibit will be running from Feb 4 – 28, with an opening reception from 6-9 pm on Feb 5, at Sushi Performance and Visual Art. For more information please contact Patrick Stewart. “Circle of Complication” was like nothing I have every visited; it puts a new twist on the interactive exhibit. Imagine a show where the walls are blank at the beginning of the evening and you get to be part of the process of covering those walls. Not only could you affect the creative outcome of the drawings on the wall, but, even more impressively, you are privy to watching a unique machine generate the drawings. The current exhibit at Sushi Performance Art features the kinetic sculpture and drawings by Dave Ghilarducci, curated by Brian Goeltzenleuchter . The kinetic sculpture sits in the center of the space and is without a doubt the star of the exhibit. The sculpture is a large machine that looks like a highly complex record player with a multitude of wires and gadgets. There are two slots in the sculpture that are designed to hold Sharpie markers which randomly glide back and forth on sheet of paper creating images similar to that of a child’s spirograph. The kinetic sculpture is custom built by the artist—from the welding to the software everything is designed with acute awareness and intent. Ghilarducci has the meticulous eye of an engineer with the passion of an artist. There are many examples of artist utilizing technology to create artwork, but what makes “Circle of Complication” original is that the drawing machine has taken center stage as the artwork and the images merely become “artifacts.” Ghilarducci has clearly put his heart and soul into creating this stunning sculpture. Yet he openly pulled back some of his artistic control when it came to the creation of the drawings on the wall, so much so that I was actually able to pick a set of Sharpie colors that were integrated in the final drawing. I was immediately drawn to a lime green color and received some assistance in my second selection of a silver marker. These colors became part of one layer of the spirograph. The audience was very much involved in not just viewing, but also shaping the exhibit. While the artist and curator left room for interpretation in the exhibition, there was a strong allusion to the importance of play. There is the paradox of having a highly sophisticated and possibly overcomplicated piece of machinery create something so simple and classic. Ghilarducci cited the changes in childhood play with the increasing role of technology. His piece served as a means of exploring this topic without making a positive or negative stance on the growing role of technology in reference to toys. In the end, central kinetic structure was more powerful than the drawings it created or the social commentary it ignited. Addendum University Art Gallery: M(otherland) works by lauren woods The exhibit felt unified and intimate while raising interesting questions about the dramatized lens often used to view the continent of Africa. Sheena Ghanbari is currently the Program Promotion Manager of UCSD’s Visual Arts Department. She has a Masters in Arts Management from the Heinz College of Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University and has completed her undergraduate studies in visual arts and communications at UCSD. In her spare time she enjoys writing, swimming, and painting. Viva Venezia…And Las Vegas by Sheena Ghanbari An exhibit of Neda Miranda Blaževic-Krietzman’s photography will be showing at the Athenaum Music & Arts Library from January 9 – February 13 and is open to the public Tuesday-Saturday 10:00 am - 5:30 pm and Wednesday 10:00 am - 8:30 pm. The opening reception is on Friday, January 8, from 6:30-8:30 pm; for more information please email events@ljathenaeum.org It is somewhat criminal that I live walking distance to the Athenaeum Arts & Music Library, but I hadn’t stepped inside until just recently. I was under the misconception that the Library was only open to members and was happily surprised when I realized that it is open to the public five days a week. This charming venue actually has three distinct spaces that exhibit art: the Main Gallery, Rotunda, and North Reading Room. The Rotunda is currently featuring Viva Venezia…And Las Vegas, a photography show by artist and writer Neda Miranda Blazevic-Krietzman. As the title suggests, the pieces in the show present juxtapositions of images from Venice and the famous Venetian Resort in Las Vegas. Each image is plainly divided in half, one side being an authentic photo from Venice and the other an image taken at the luxury hotel, and while that sounds like a literal artistic approach the visual outcome was surprising. Some of the images did present the more anticipated startling contrast; one example is the photograph of a modern-day model on a billboard paralleled to a quiet representation of an antiquated statue of a woman. There is an obvious tension in this image. If all of the works followed in this vein I would argue that the artist is bringing to light the shortcomings and discrepancies of this fabrication. However, many of the pieces illustrated subtle differences between Venice and The Venetian, and in some images I could not readily discern where the image was from. This is when I realized that the exhibit was more about nuances and replication than jarring or garish disparities. Looking back to the written description of the show, Blazevic-Krietzman actually states that the motivation for Viva Venezia…And Las Vegas came from her curiosity as to why “why we copy things we like or (dislike), and why the copies of some remarkably unique artwork and architecture make us (almost) as excited, amused, and surprised as the originals themselves.” While the Venetian will never have the allure of the real Venice the act of recreating a masterpiece certainly sheds light on the original and provides a basis for a greater dialogue. Sheena Ghanbari is currently the Program Promotion Manager of UCSD’s Visual Arts Department. She has a Masters in Arts Management from the Heinz College of Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University and has completed her undergraduate studies in visual arts and communications at UCSD. In her spare time she enjoys writing, swimming, and painting. Michele Guieu Takes Command of The Art Produce Gallery by Katherine Sweetman Come out Saturday, January 9th, to take part in A Casual Conversation with Artist Michele Guieu at the Art Produce Gallery as part of her exhibition that is currently on display titled Lucy, Darwin and Me, 6:30pm, 1/09/10. For more info contact Lynn Susholtz 619.584.4448 Lucy, Darwin and Me was an extremely well designed, multi-layered, and engaging show that took over the Art Produce Gallery from December12th to January 24th. On January 9 th, the artist, Michele Guieu, gave an informal talk and explained the show, her impetus for creating the work, and some of her relevant background -- like the fact that her father is a geologist, her mother is a biologist, and her family lived, for a while, in Africa. The overall design of the show was flawless. As a former professional graphic designer, Michele Guieu utilized her knowledge of layout, craft, and presentation to shape the bizarre physical space of the Art Produce Gallery (a large storefront with a small backroom) into an exceptional exhibition. In a statement on the piece, Guieu described the show as having a “museum-like ambience,” and although the show demonstrated qualities of a more permanent, natural-history museum show, there was something much deeper, personal, and intense that occurred in this work. It was the opposite of most gallery exhibitions in which a series of objects are relocated to any space for a given duration where they will hopefully be sold. This show was specifically created for this space and the multiple audiences that came in contact with the work. Also the work was essentially destroyed when the show ended. The major hub of the piece, the mural, was painted over and only pieces were salvaged. The physical layers of the piece included text on the storefront’s glass and the abstracted (but not abstract) mural on the wall depicting skulls and bone fragments belonging to “Lucy” (a hominid that lived some 3.2 billion years ago and was discovered in 1974 on the horn of Africa during the same time Michele and her family were living there). Hanging on the mural were specimen-looking pen and ink drawings that stick out of the wall and there were also even smaller color photographs on top of the painting. It made the skin of the mural speckled with a sort of historical, multimedia record. But that’s not even beginning to scratch the surface layers. There was text inside, postcards, press, a large statement and essay on the piece. The backroom led us to another pivotal, and more personal, layer of the show. There was a series of large photographs taken by Michele’s father, a layout of some of his geology tools and a video piece in which Michele, in her beautiful flowing French accent describes the tools with a desert backdrop. The layered nature of the exhibition extended into a number of events, an opening, a panel talk, and an artist’s talk. Perhaps the most striking thing about this work was what theses layers do for the audience. There were multiple levels of engagement available for the many audiences of this gallery. The majority of those that witnessed this work see it as they cruise by at 25 mph (since the storefront gallery is right on University Avenue). Lucy’s huge skull was intended for them. The pedestrian, walking by, could view this mural behind layers of strange text, “sexual,” “apes,” “evolution” - the words stand out on the window inviting questions. Because the gallery is attached to a café, the occasional patron might wander in accidentally, and then be lulled into the back room by Michele’s lovely voice coming from the video monitor, and if you desired even more from the work you could attend the events, read the texts and press, and hear the artist talk about the work. The full richness of the work, its history, its levels, and its layers were a fantastic experience for all those who witnessed it. Katherine Sweetman is an artist, educator, curator, and freelance writer for San Diego City Beat and the San Diego Visual Arts Network. She has an MFA in Visual Arts from UCSD and a B.A. from Cal-State San Marcos. She is also the Director of Lui Velazquez, an alternative art space and gallery in Colonia Federal, Tijuana Movers and Shakers 2 :Who's Who in SD Visual Arts by Louisa Garcia Start the New Year off right, check out "Movers and Shakers 2: Who's Who in SD Visual Arts" at the Arts Expressions Gallery. Opening reception Thurs Jan 21 from 6:30-8:30, Exhibition Jan 21 to Feb 6. Opening Days Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat 10am to 5pm. For more info: Patricia Frischer 760.943.0148 Dear Daniel, How quickly you have come and gone. You move me. You shake me. Saying good-bye again has left me shattered. Pieces of me have blown away in the wind, pulled into the sky as you flew away, again. After you left I moped around the Art Expressions Gallery. I felt so alone without you, in a sea; a sea of portraits. They watched me, moving about the room, watching them. I stopped at Irina Negulesco’s portrait of Sandi Cottrell, eyes peeking out at me, awash in a sky of blue, tempting me to dive in, to swim in an ocean of paint. Some of the portraits were so true to life, I expected the people in them to jump out and hold me, paint rubbing off on my clothes, like lipstick stains on my cheek. Vanessa Lemon’s portrait of Jim Gilliam starred at me until I broke down and told him all of my secrets. Soon enough I wasn’t feeling so lonely. Tony Peters invited me along with Patti and Coop Cooprider as they happily shopped, smiles spread across their faces, like flowers after the rain. I expected them to invite me over for tea or cocktails, or even milk and cookies I imagined you were back and we were at a party, with all the portraits there, mingling together; glasses tinkling together like wind chimes as everyone laughed and snacked on tiny food. I could almost see you, swinging a thin stick into Alberto Caro’s piñata portrait of Ernest Silva, a gash along his midsection revealing sublime candies that we eat until our bellies ache. It is Cheryl Sorg’s portrait of Angela Carone that I like best of all. Two large thumb prints, the lines of uniqueness filled in with her favorite movies and books. I wonder what happens if she pricks her finger, will she bleed words, oh beautiful, dangerous words. As I leave and prepare to send you this letter I have decided to attach a picture of me. It is from my first birthday party. In it, my face is covered in deep purple icing. You can put it on your wall, or cut it to pieces and put it back together, or you can keep it in the envelope and forget me, it’s up to you. I leave you now, my mover, my shaker. Write again when you get the chance. Have fun on the east coast. Lots of kisses and giant hugs. Always Yours, Louisa Garcia is a Rehabilitation Specialist by day, Writer by night who lives in Carlsbad, CA with her loving husband David. In her spare time, she loves to read, do Bikram Yoga, hang out with her fabulous friends and relax on the beach with her new husband. The views put forth on this page on not necessarily those of San Diego Visual Arts Network and SDVAN neither endorses or is responsibly for them. Please contact the writers directly with your comments The reports are chosen from events that are listed on the SDVAN site in approximately the previous 30 days. If you are a writing interested in contributing to Picked RAW Peeled, please note there is no remuneration. SDVAN is a 100% volunteer organization and a non-profit project, but there rae several advantages:
Read archived Picked RAW Peeled for 2008 and 2009 |
