Sunday, February 23, 2014

Coming Exhibition: Don Adler, Brigitte Schobert, Betty Sheinbaum

Opening Reception:
Saturday, March 1, 5-8 p.m

Artist Talk:
Saturday, March 15, 3 p.m


Don Adler, Romance the Stone

Don Adler, Love Seat, Marble 10 x 19 x 12in
In his latest exhibition, sculptor Don Adler celebrates the romance between artist and media. Transitioning from previous smaller scale works to larger, organic compositions, Adler continuesto explore rich, multidimensional colors in his sculptures. Contrasting use of light and dark, negative space and positive volume, Adler expressively illustrates the emotion and physicality of his sculptural process. “Each creation is meant to draw the viewer into the work,” says Adler. “Then, contrary to many prohibitions, [I want to] encourage the observer to make both visual andtactile contact to experience the sensuality and power generated.” Adler’s abstract forms are enhanced by a range of color - from subtle pink and veined amber marble to black Belgian marble. Fusing natural stone with a dexterous carving technique, Adler’s sensitive attention to detail highlights the individual character of each stone piece.

Brigitte Schobert, Reflections
Brigitte Schobert, Untitled 180, Oil on Paper 20 x 24in
Brigitte Schobert’s series Reflections features a new body of vibrant works on paper and canvas inspired by her travels abroad. Drawing from memories of intricately decorated homes, colorful clothing, flowers and food from the Mediterranean, India, Indonesia and Mexico, Schobert intuitively weaves her experiences into her abstract imagery. Her bold color palette engages the senses, mimicking the rich impression that these cultures had on her own. Schobert meticulously layers oil paints using an etching press and a transfer process from plexiglass plates to create multidimensional works on paper. Her acrylic work on canvas exhibits a close attention to texture as she applies fabrics, tissue paper, and even sand to the surface before adding multiple translucent layers of paint to the canvas to create a sense of depth. Gestural strokes and shapes emerge from colorful environments as each work conveys individually emotive sensations.

Betty Sheinbaum, Relax and Play
Betty Sheinbaum, Ben and Boys, AcrylicOnCanvas, 16 x 20in
Betty Sheinbaum’s current series, Relax and Play features acrylic portrait studies of people at leisure. Sheinbaum continues to explore light and form through her subjects - people and pets in public spaces, caught in unassuming, candid moments. Using flat, geometric shapes and large fields of bold color, the artist creates shallow space, forcing her figures into the foreground. The immediacy of Sheinbaum’s technique captures fleeting moments in time as her swift, visible brushstrokes highlight leafy park scenes and outdoor escapes. Sheinbaum’s playfully colorful scenes portray a keen eye for the attitude and personality of her Los Angeles subjects, while sharing a relateable viewpoint with her audience - that of the observer.

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Brushes Meets Beats Closing Party at TAG February 22

A night of free jazz and wine tasting!

Saturday, February 22, 7:30 - 9pm

The Jazz by Dan Radlauer and "Forte Jazz"
The wine by vintner Kevin Jussila and Kukkula Winery.
The art by Alain G. Rogier and Fielden Harper

7:30 to 8:00 -
View the art, taste the wine, meet the artist Alain G. Rogier, the musicians, and the Vintner all with a "Wine Set" in the background by Forte Jazz

8:00 to 8:45 -
Grab a seat and enjoy a set of Original Jazz and new interpretations of Jazz Standards.

8:45 to 9:00 -
Small talk, flirting, networking etc.

Forte Jazz:
Dan Radlauer - Keyboards,
Scott Roewe - Woodwinds
Ian Martin - Bass
Ruben Radlauer - Drums

Saturday, February 8, 2014

TAG Interviews Fielden Harper

"Urban Mosaic" is Fielden Harper's current exhibition at TAG.
Fielden Harper, Freeway Series V, Acrylic on wood, 40 x 11 in. each panel
We asked her a few questions.

Where did you grow up? Do you feel that your early environment had an influence on your artistic development?
I grew up in Kentucky and spent much of my time with my grandmother who loved to tell stories, sew, do needlepoint and make things for people she loved. Making patchwork quilts was one of my earliest memories. The grid is a form that I still use.

What are the key themes that run through your work?
My work tends to be architectural and most of the pieces tell a story. I look for iconic images and use my work as an informal documentation of the world around me.
Fielden Harper, Norm's, Acrylic on canvas, 24 x 18 in
Has your day job influenced your art?
I teach Art and Art History in a Middle School and the energy and enthusiasm of the kids is contagious - I think this spills over into my own approach to art.

What is the biggest challenge that you face as an artist? 
My biggest problem is finding enough time to work on my art so that I don’t get caught in a time crunch when I have a deadline. (Think that might be the story of my life!)

Tell us about your studio -- where do you create?
My studio is in an old hangar at the Santa Monica Airport and is a great place to work. There is a high window that lets a patch of sunlight make a path across the wall and reminds me of the pattern of sunlight in my grandmother’s sewing room.

May we have a peek?
Fielden's work can be seen at TAG through February 22.

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

TAG at Palm Spring Fine Art Fair

In a week, ten TAG artists are headed to the Palm Springs Fine Art Fair, Booth 111.
A limited number of reserved tickets are available either a VIP PASS (+1, every day) or a single DAY PASS. Info and links follow below.

VIP PASS gives you and a guest access to
Every day of the fair February 14-16
+ Opening Preview Thu Feb 13, 7-9:30pm

LINK

DAY PASS gives you access to
Any 1 day of the fair February 14, 15 or 16
LINK

Show schedule
Thursday Feb 13, 7:00-9:30pm
Friday Feb 14, 11am-8pm
Saturday Feb 15, 11am-8pm
Sunday Feb 16, 11am-6pm

Location
Palm Springs Convention Center
277 N Avenida Caballeros
Palm Springs CA 92262

MAP 
Artists participating:
Anne M Bray
Christo Brock
Katie Crown
Cynthia Alexander
Pam Douglas
Peter Kempson
Suki Kuss
Gary Polonsky
Lina Sue Price
Darlyn Susan Yee
 
We hope to see you there!

Monday, February 3, 2014

TAG Interviews Alain Rogier

Alain Rogier, who is currently exhibiting his work at TAG, will be giving a talk “The Art of a Child of Survivors of Auschwitz” at LEO BAECK TEMPLE, 1300 N. Sepulveda Blvd, Los Angeles, 90049 Saturday, February 8, 1:45pm.

We asked him a few questions.

What are some of the themes you plan to discuss in your upcoming talk?
The issues for the second generation are complex in that they not only have to address the actual pain and suffering sustained by our parents, but how they dealt with those issues, how they transferred their lessons unto us, the psychological scars that this created that had to be dealt with. These are just some of the issues. Then, there are the issues of recognizing that the world has moved on, that we face children from Nazis that had absolutely nothing to do with the Holocaust and the questions of how to deal with them. On top of this, there are all of the historical facts that we have become privy to after the war that bring into question a lot of our perceptions of governments, society and political leaders. The theological questions regarding God and Heaven also come into play. These are some of the questions that I attempt to address in the art re the Holocaust.

Alain Rogier, Who Knows About Tomorrow?, Acrylic on canvas, 55 x 45 in
Where did you grow up? Do you feel that your early environment had an influence on your artistic development?
I was born in Paris, France shortly after the war. My parents were Holocaust survivors. Paris at the time was still recovering from the war and had yet to resurrect itself from the mental and physical hardships of the war. It was gritty. For work reasons, my parents moved to Glendale, Calif. after we emigrated to the U.S.. I was totally isolated as I did not speak any English and still wore clothes for French schools. My family stood out as sore thumbs in that environment. This experience reflects itself in my perspective of life, sensitivity to the role of the outsider, to the complexity and visceral hardships of life. The attempt to find serenity in the world we live in is one of the principal themes in my work as is the conflict between the forces of light and dark.

When did you first realize you were an artist (or have the courage to identify yourself as an artist)?
This is twofold struggle: the commercial and the internal identification. Confidence in my work has really not been lacking for years, but realizing that the work keeps evolving and the art stronger makes me question some of the assumptions that I made years ago about being an artist. I am quite comfortable on both fronts today to identify myself as an "artist." For me though, it means a continuing internal dialogue and challenge. I realize that you cannot allow the commercial side define you.

What are the key themes that run through your work?
The human condition, the struggle between the forces of light and darkness, the search for serenity/peace in a complex often cruel world. The need to engage and have people engaged in the dialogue is also very critical to me.

Alain Rogier, The Meeting, Acrylic on canvas, 55 x 66 in
What excites you about the medium/genre that you work in?
The endless permutations, challenges in creating images that both have something to say and that elicit a response/dialogue.

How do you decide on your color palette?
The palette is continually in flux. Experimenting, stretching my comfort zones adds to the dialogue and personal conversation. At the end of the day, however, the palette needs to remain strong and evoke emotions as well as mental engagement for me to enjoy it.

How do you know when a work is finished?
Each piece stands on its own. I have to get to a point where I think that I cannot add anything further to it nor edit anything as superfluous.

How do you like people to view your work—from across the room, or close up?
Both. Hopefully, the work will grab you from a distance and then one will see the depth and beauty of the paint and brushstrokes.

What would you like your viewers to take away from their encounter with your artwork?
That they are had a dialogue with the art and that it has caused them to think or feel something that they hadn't initially before encountering it.

What is the biggest challenge that you face as an artist?
Getting the work out there to be viewed.

Tell us about your studio -- where do you create?
We converted the garage into my studio. It works very well. Skylights and fresh air abound.

May we have a peek?
People are invited to contact me for a visit.

Alain Rogier, Electric Moment, Acrylic on canvas, 55 x 48 in
In addition to the talk on February 8, Alain will give an Artist's Talk at TAG moderated by museum curator Sara L. Cannon on Saturday February 15, 3pm.

Alain is also hosting a “Brushes Meet Beats” event at TAG with live jazz and wine tasting on Saturday February 22, 7:30-9:00pm.