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.