CHERISHING OUR VALLEY 2013
Up (Off the Base)
October 17 – December 12, 2013
Reception for the Artists: Thursday, October 17, 6 – 8 pm
Exhibition opens October 17 and closes December 12, 2013
General Gallery Hours: Monday through Thursday, 11 am to 5 pm
Los Angeles Valley College Art Gallery is pleased to present
Up (Off the Base),
a group exhibition that explores hanging sculptures by artists Carol
Bishop, Rebekah Bogard, Jamison Carter, Olga Koumoundouros, Jason Kunke,
John Pearson, Katie Queen, Jaime Scholnick, and Joe Suzuki.
Up opens October 17 and closes December 12, 2013. The gallery will host a reception for the artists
on Thursday, October 17, from 6 to 8 p.m.
American color field painter Barnett Newman once remarked that sculpture
is what you bump into when backing up to see a painting.
Up (Off the Base) takes that statement as a subversive point of departure and examines sculptural objects that are created
not for display on the pedestal or the ground. In
Up,
nine artists explore color, surface texture, and the intersection of
paint and material. In addition, almost all of the pieces embody an
additive element of paint in them, further complicating the traditional
definitions of sculpture.
Carol Bishop’s constructed and painted, wooden
sculptures resemble the geometric forms found in Kazimir Malevich’s
paintings. Bishop investigates Modernist architectural structures as
organic entities and distills delineated forms from them to create
abstract pieces that possess a formal presence.
Rebekah Bogard’s fantastical and hybridized floral
object—laboriously handcrafted, low-fired earthenware—pushes the
traditional definitions of femininity through the use of color and curvy
lines within her sculptural work; she embraces pink colors and
spherical shapes not as conventionally engendered symbols but as
empowering re-contextualization of femininity.
Jamison Carter’s bizarre sculptures—constructed globs
of acrylic paint on commercial grade Tyvek—hang like paintings but exude
tactile dimensions, resembling alien-like creatures and orifices that
both reveal and repel.
Olga Koumoundouros’s ceiling lamps—recycled milk jugs
collaged with grocery store circulars—address the fundamental principle
of the American Dream, which is home ownership, inviting viewers to
consider the ties---emotional, financial, and psychological—that bind us
to the place we call home. Her readymade objects serve as stand-in
symbols of the political and personal fallout of the recent housing
market collapse.
Jason Kunke’s
Grace Hartigan piece quotes from
a statement made by the American Abstract Expressionist painter of that
name. This work—a replica of a nonfunctional, neon sign made entirely
of steel—metaphorically comments not only on the accessibility of
fabrication in the post-industrial condition but also on the denial of
what a neon sign promises to deliver.
John Pearson’s painted, wooden sculpture/sculptural painting evokes a 1950s cool, a stacking of minimal, oval shapes that resemble a
Jetsons’s spacecraft or a streamlined, abstract totem.
Katie Queen’s ceramic work—heavily inspired by organic
forms—call attention to materiality and craftsmanship, both of which the
artist minds and covets, respectively. Utilizing rich pigments and
complex designs, Queen sculpts process-oriented objects that originate
from her own memory and also invention. The resulting works express
both a fragility and sturdiness.
Jaime Scholnick—using discarded, unaltered polystyrene
packing material as her medium—merges color harmonies with bold lines to
produce abstract works that transform “garbage” into refined objects of
art. Scholnick’s brightly painted pieces speak volumes about
humankind’s throwaway culture.
Joe Suzuki—employing common materials such as MDF
(medium-density fiberboard), raw canvas, and plastic—creates
meticulously crafted sculptures that explore materiality, trompe l’oeil,
color and personal history. The artist investigates his mixed cultural
background by celebrating its eccentricities, fusing childhood memories
with fantasy.
High-resolution images of artworks can be provided upon request.
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Enter the campus at Oxnard Street and Campus Drive (between Fulton and
Ethel). Please park in one of the lots (B or C) north of the Art Gallery
– parking permit is required during gallery hours. The Art Gallery is
located in the Art Building.
All events are free to the public.
For general Art Gallery information: 818-778-5536
Copyright © 2013 Los Angeles Valley College Art Gallery
Valley College Art Museum's mailing address is:
Sam Lee, Art Gallery Director
Los Angeles Valley College Art Gallery
5800 Fulton Avenue
Valley Glen, CA 91401
818-778-5536
