"Speak to the Stones and Stars"

Ongoing through June 2, 2018 is Speak to the Stones and Stars a group show by two international artists. The content of the show are photographs- sublimation on aluminum and stainless steel sculptures. Linda Connor's 30 years taking pictures of various countries culminates with her series presented at the Haines gallery. Earth quake vaults, long exposure celestial pictures of the stars and sculptures of figures from Pompei are some of her subject matter. Zhan Wang's sculpture of rocks which are symbolic in the ancient literati scriptures studied by monks in China speaks to the ancient symbolism of rock as it relates to the postmodern society of China's people who move from the rural country to work in the city just to find that life is not as it seems. Perhaps living in the rural country is not so bad where people can contemplate life and study rocks? The remarkable artwork  by Zhan is meticulously rendered to a even handed high gloss polish on all his sculptures which take on complex forms. His process is complex and patented by the artist. His rock sculptures are a series numbered in numeric order and his work places him a postmodern artist as he intersects ancient philosophy with contemporary social trends in China.

Zhan Wang's front view of his rock sculpture

Zhan Wang's largest piece in the gallery back view. 8'x4"

Zhan's signature series number and edition count.

A smaller piece 3'x2'.

David Hammons - Dimensions of Black

David Hammon's cantankerous spirit has been stirring up the international art community with his artwork for some time now.  Last fall I saw one of his assemblage's in person at the Dimensions of Black show at the Manneti Shrem Museum.  It was one of those moment when I stopped and did a triple take on the piece. I spent 10 minutes to look at - Champ, 1989 and it got to the point when the sercurity guard stopped to watched me as I carried on looking at the Rubber inner tube and boxing gloves with tape. The piece is part of the collection at The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego.
Upon arriving at the piece. I stepped back and with in ten seconds I knew it was David Hammon's work,but I had to step in to read the didactic for clarification. Now if we put this history in boxing context; hence the title of the piece and glove it would place it around the time Mike Tyson fought Frank Bruno- 02/1989. Rubber inner tube maybe viewed as resilience.
My first observation was a figure being represented possibly. Yet the effect of the inner tube seems to be hanging on the wall like a coat on a coat hanger. However given David Hammon's political and social activism in his artwork then we shall conclude this is part of his message here with the Champ.

The Champ, Assemblage.

The Champ side view

Wayne Thiebaud at the Manetti Shrem Musuem, U.C. Davis, California.

Closing this weekend on May 13, 2018 at the Manetti Shrem Museum - is the early significant works of Wayne Thiebaud. His work is significant because despite the Pop-Art trend dominating  during the 1960's with Andy Warhol's use of screen printing for the soup cans and Roy Litchenstein's comic book quality paintings is when Wayne Thiebaud's paintings were given a test drive to be exhibited at the 1962  Armory Show at the Allen Stone Gallery, New York City. His 1962 show catapulted him to be an overnight success. 

The artwork presented below are the paintings from the Wayne Thiebaud exhibit at the Manetti Shrem. The expressive layering of oil paint that drive the paintings expressive quality is also colored carefully with color variations that create luster and and quality of illumination which define forms of his subjects. 

The painting below is using only essential details of light and shadows to express space and content. The semi intense blue cast shadow of the fish pushes form along with the brush strokes of the paint as it overlaps together carefully together. The cast shadow fades out to the tail at the end. Thiebaud's classical art training is evident here and how he couples flat geometric spaces with subtle color creates interesting composition of color and space which is largely indicative with majority of his still life's and landscapes. However in Thiebaud's exhibit at the Shrem you will see mostly figures and still life paintings. 

Special Note: These paintings dated in the 1960's are technical considered modern era in art history. Contemporary artwork is considered 1980-present. Since the artist is presently making paintings I put him my blog. 

Half Salmon, 1961, Oil on Canvas

Candy Counter, Era 1960's, Oil on Canvas

Pies, 1961, Oil on Canvas

Bakery Counter, 1962, Oil on Canvas

Installation detail view of painting with scale reference.

Bikini, 1964, Oil On Canvas

Pence Gallery- Bay Area Clay: A Legacy of Social Consciousness

Artists Talk April 28th, 2018.

Photo Credit- Moises Castillo

The Pence Gallery backyard patio hosted a panel of internationally recognized artists who participated in the group show- A Legacy of Social Consciousness. Artists Arthur Gonzalez, Marc Lancet, Lisa Reinerstein, Monica Van den Dool, and Ehren Tool talked about their experience with art and how their work reflected social consciousness. First and foremost they consider themselves a second generations of artist who attribute their influences from Robert Arneson, Viola Frey, and Stephen De Staebler who are credited as pioneers of the Bay Area Funk movement during the 1960's. The artist panel is seen below.

Left to Right- Natalie Nelson (Pence Director), Lisa Reinerstein, Monica Van den Dool, Arthur Gonzalez, Marc Lancet, Ehren Tool.

Ehren Tool's cup arrangement in the Pence Gallery.

Ehren Tool's Ceramic Cups detail.

Ehren Tool Ceramic Cups- Note Humpty Dumpty- a fairy tale that is believed to based on a war machine.

 

Arthur Gonzalez's ceramic piece is one pictured below- Acid Rain is a social piece of how in secondary school there was no art classes, but a lot of science. At the time during science class there was discussion about acid rain which was not a common topic at the time in the mid-1980's when this piece was created in 1986.

Acid Rain by Arthur Gonzalez

Lisa Reinerstein work below is known for her life like figures and animals. She studied under Robert Arneson and Manual Neri Here is a piece called Disposition. Lisa Reinerstein's family worked with political and social activist associated with Dr. Martin Luther King and Cesar Chavez.

Disposition, 2013

Pieta, 2012

Monica Van den Dool's says this artwork is "series deals broadly with humanist condition about the past, present, and future of the human condition"

Monica Van den Dool- Chunk, 2010

Marc Lancet's figurative sculptures are figurative and during his lecture he mentioned how he likes to experiment as to take an opposite turn when in the studio. Marc Lancet expressed his Jewish heritage. His pieces are wood-fired. Furthermore he is a proponent of art programs in school and is deeply committed to the idea that art matter, to health of the human spirit and to humanity's future. I deeply agree.

Marc Lancet's piece.