California Open 2014 Update

Congratulations to the 2014 California Open Exhibition artists!

Reception & Awards Ceremony:

Saturday, August 16, 5 - 8 pm

JUROR: Laddie John Dill

click on image to see larger

Coming Exhibition: Carole Garland, Suki Kuss, Elyse Wyman

Tuesday, July 15 - Saturday, August 9, 2014

Opening Reception: Saturday, July 19, 5-8 p.m.

Artist Talk: Saturday, August 2, 3 p.m

Santa Monica Pier: Night and Day, Carole Garland

Carole Garland,  Ferris, Oil on Canvas , 48x36in

In her latest show, Carole Garland focuses on the variability of the Santa Monica Pier as a spectrum of illumination throughout the day and into the night. Garland plays with natural and artificial light and shadows falling on the beach, pier and water and explores the familiar architecture in close-up and from afar. She shifts from previous work which focused on the chaos of the metropolitan city, to the haunting qualities of the pier’s urban architecture. She captures the nostalgic quality of the iconic structures, the ferris wheel, the carousel, and the roller coaster, rather than the tourists who visit the pier. Atmosphere, mood, and the changing times of day continue to be a signature of her work.

Small Offerings, Suki Kuss

Suki Kuss, Cloud Cover I, Mixed Media Collage, 20x20in

Suki Kuss embarks on a personal journey in her latest exhibition, Small Offerings. Putting aside her previously used vintage materials such as lace, patterns, sheet music and reflective surfaces, Kuss limits herself to only immediately accessible and basic materials in her studio. What unfolded in this delicate and patient quest was a deeply cathartic and cleansing experience. Reminiscent of her past aesthetic, Kuss achieves a complex, multi-layered balance through talent and patience in skilled penwork. Jean-Jacques Rousseau once wrote, “Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.” Speaking to her fruitful process, Kuss divulges, “ I found myself slowly developing smaller and smaller pieces. The work has become very meditative and absorbing… I find myself engaged with the individual pieces for days on end”. Unifying these compositions are restrictions in color palette and the incorporation of her own symbolic visual vocabulary that she has developed over the years. Distinctive to Kuss’ work is her continued mastery of combining and translating textures into visceral and ethereal atmospheres.

Light of Day, Elyse Wyman

Elyse Wyman, The Summit, Mixed Media, 36x36in

In her latest series, Elyse Wyman combines painting and photography to explore the crepuscular transition of day to night. These mixed media works showcase the ephemeral nature of the cyclical rhythms of the earth, as light is filtered through a haze of clouds, mist and pollution in and around the Los Angeles area. Wyman begins with photos printed on clear film which she then partially dissolves with solvents to abstract and soften them. She then layers the photo over an acrylic painting to create gradients of color and depth beneath the dripping emulsion of a wet sky. Referencing the ever-changing currents aloft, Wyman shares that, "The ethereal effects of light falling on this planet from above have always been of compelling interest to me." This melding of media seeks to capture time, keeping a brief moment alive while also tracing its demise. As she sees it, each day comes into being and over time passes away, but not before exploding in a final unique outburst.