Coming Exhibition: Christo Brock, Donn Delson, Gary Polonsky

Tuesday, March 22 – Saturday, April 16, 2016

Christo Brock – DisORDiNARY
Donn Delson – Light Amplification
Gary Polonsky – Pale Blue Dot

Opening Reception:
Saturday, March 26, 5-8PM

Artist Panel Discussion:
Saturday, April 9, at 3PM

Christo Brock
DisORDiNARY

Christo Brock, Metal Dots 1, Photo on aluminum 20x30"

In his latest exhibition, photographer Christo Brock reframes the everyday into the abstract. Form, line, and color become elemental in his treatments of flat and deep space. Formalistic in his approach to line, Brock plays with the contrast of the natural and manmade in the world he inhabits. Using his preferred medium of metal prints, Brock further abstracts form to create a new dialogue with the viewer.

The process of printing on metal is unique. It’s a throwback to older techniques of printing, an analogue of the dye-sublimation process. In the metal printing process, a negative of the image is conveyed to a transfer medium. The aluminum metal is heated to a very precise degree (around 400º), and the transfer medium is married to the heated metal. When the image comes into contact with the metal, the ink gasifies, and the image is printed into the metal. The molecules of the metals absorb the pigments, and they surround the empty space around the metal molecules. When light strikes the metal and is reflected back into the viewer’s eye, a perception of space and iridescence is created.

DisORDiNARY is a continuation of the work Brock has been investigating for the past decade. His keen eye sees the world through a unique and personal lens – lines play and interact with the frame, form is simplified, and colors are reduced to the sensorial. Space is both flat and deep, and the aluminum medium allows for abstraction of form within that space. What results is a new world of elements that challenge our notions of photography and art.

Donn Delson
Light Amplification

Donn Delson, And There Will Be Light, Archival pigment print 40x60"

Exploring the dynamic relationship between light and color, Donn Delson’s current exhibition, Light Amplification, transforms the common conceptions of photography. Intrigued by the manipulation of both natural and manufactured light, Delson explores how motion affects light and how light effects motion. Utilizing a special laser light facility, Delson experimented with laser light vectors, focal lengths, color, motion, and exposure in order to achieve a unique vision for each image. Inspired by artists such as James Turrell and Jose Parla, Delson’s exhibition combines light and color to breathe dimension into his work, creating a surreal sense of space, photographically.

Using color to create a sense of balance within the laser images, Delson’s work interacts and flows, almost as if he is painting with light. Allowing each photograph to tell its own story, Delson chooses to present images that have emotional meaning for him, which also resonate within viewers. With a similar technique that he brings to his landscape photography, Delson approaches his abstracts with a bird’s-eye view for creating a sense of place. For Delson, there must be a special moment, composition, exposure, or perspective; a reason for opening the shutter.

Gary Polonsky
Pale Blue Dot

Gary Polonsky, Jupiter, Acrylic mixed media, 12x14x19"

Fascinated by the beauty of the night sky, Gary Polonsky’s latest exhibition, A Pale Blue Dot, explores the mystery and grandeur of our solar system’s vast array of stars and planets. Beginning with one small version of planet Earth, this series quickly grew alongside Polonsky’s imagination and quest to learn more about “what’s out there”.

Working with acrylic paints and mixed media, Polonsky explores a variety of materials including Styrofoam to create his realistic replications. Polonsky works progressively by adding layer upon layer of textural characteristics such as mountain ranges, clouds, deserts and other details to achieve such realistic three-dimensional objects.

The centerpiece of the show is a large, 24” diameter version of the planet Earth that rotates slowly in the center of the room. On one wall of the gallery sits a large screen TV playing a video presentation featuring American astronomer Carl Sagan, followed by a mesmerizing video of the sun. This combination of media is meant to remind the viewer of our place in the universe -- a humbling experience, and a perspective that deserves note.

Spotlight On: Christo Brock

Unwonted Eye, Christo Brock at TAG Gallery, 24 February – 21 March 2015 

Christo Brock, Blue Ripples #3, 2015, Photo on metal, 20 × 30 in

The Unwonted Eye is photographer Christo Brock’s latest exhibition of work on view at TAG Gallery.
In his latest work, Brock continues to explore unwonted (unusual, unexpected) imagery from everyday life. His eye ranges from the languid rolling ocean in Blue Ripples #3 to the macroscopic Tortured Orange Line and the enhanced fantastical forest-scape of Christmas Trees.

Christo Brock, Christmas Trees, 2015, Photo on metal, 20 × 30 in

In all his imagery, printed exclusively on metal, Brock shows the unique vision that has characterized his work. It’s this metal surface that provides a medium to complete Brock’s abstraction of image. These photographs don’t merely sit on the metal as a photograph - they seem to live in the metal. His images shimmer and glisten, and the metal often adds a welcome element of abstraction to his work. At times, Brock plays with the metal, as if daring to evoke the molecules to speak. Dew Drops become glowing orbs, waves become undulating stripes of blue, trees become lines of color and depth.

Christo Brock, Pearl Harbor, 23 December 2011, 2011, Photo on metal, each 20 × 30 in

In his triptych Pearl Harbor, 23 December 2011 Brock pursues this approach in photos taken only minutes apart at the Hawaii National Park that memorializes the horrible attack that brought America into war. The oil floating on the surface above the sunken monument USS Arizona has an eerie visual shimmer to it. It’s like looking at a series of demon clouds conjured from a 70 year old monument eager to speak its secrets. In the piece entitled Tiny Bubbles, tiny bubbles appear arranged with a hidden logic, and the piece looks to be a close-up view of piebald crocodile skin. Brock reveals that it was shot it was condensation on a fruit bowl’s saran wrap.

Christo Brock, Tiny Bubbles, 2015, Photo on metal, each 20 × 30 in

“I don’t like to reveal to people what the image was,” Brock says with a wry smile, “because when I took the image, it was one thing. Now it’s something else.” When pressured, Brock will reveal the provenance of the original image, but he much prefers to let the viewer decide. “People ask me all the time what the image “is”. … when what they really mean is, what did I aim my camera lens at. Now, it’s something else, and I want people to feel that new thing.”

Christo Brock, Squiggly Lines, 2015, Photo on metal, 20 × 30 in

UnWonted Eye is on display at TAG Gallery from Tuesday 24th February through Saturday 21st March.

Join Christo at TAG on Saturday 7 March at 3pm, where he will part of an Artists Talk.

Upcoming Exhibition: Christo Brock, Elizabeth Szymczak, Kamil Vojnar

February 24 - March 21, 2015

Reception: Saturday, February 28, 5-8 pm

Artist Talk : Saturday, March 7, 3 pm

Unwonted Eye, Christo Brock

Christo Brock, Tortured Orange Line, Photo on metal, 20 x 30 in

In his latest work, Brock continues to explore unwonted (unusual, unexpected) imagery from everyday life.  His eye ranges from the languid rolling ocean in “Ripples #3” to the macroscopic “Tortured Orange Line” and the enhanced fantastical forest-scape of “Christmas Trees”.  In all his imagery, printed exclusively on metal, Brock shows the unique vision that has characterized his work. 

It’s this metal surface that provides a medium to complete Brock’s abstraction of image.  These photographs don’t merely sit on the metal as a photograph - they seem to live in the metal.  His images shimmer and glisten, and the metal often adds a welcomed element of abstraction to his work.  At times, Brock plays with the metal, as if daring to evoke the molecules to speak. Dew Drops become glowing orbs, waves become undulating stripes of blue, trees become lines of color and depth.

Choreographed Color, Elizabeth Szymczak

Elizabeth Szymczak, Dream, Oil on canvas, 30 x 30 in.

"Contemporary figure painting has become, for the most part, too stabile. People sit, stand, or lie around the house or garden, stolid and inert, their poses without animation, often they seem as if they were stuffed. By not moving, they often fail to move us: the loss of animation has meant a loss to painting, in the range of both expression and subject matter,” wrote art historian Gerald Ackerman in his paper, “On Motion in Art”.

Elizabeth Szymczak captures the dynamism of motion, whilst maintaining an exemplary level of realism. She paints out of a love for dance and the expressing of emotion through movement. Szymczak’s paintings render what the figures are attempting to evoke.

As her latest body of work, Choreographed Color is a more positive collection. Szymczak concentration is centered on the blend of surrealism and realism. As in life, she is striving to find the right balance between expression and approach.

Just Pictures, Kamil Vojnar

Kamil Vojnar, From History of Aviation, mixed media on wood, 16 x 16 in.

Just Pictures is anything but… JUST PICTURES. Its a desperate cry, … it’s a hand sticking out from the water, trying to grab to whatever, to anything, that is still true and real, in today’s fast-paced world. Vojnar himself pronounces his work to be above everything else, … about collisions … “Of yellowish nostalgia, melancholy, of our sepia tinted past. colliding with the cold, ultra LED HDTV plasma, retina display, uninspiring, robotic present.”

Vojnar utilizes many paradoxical elements in his work. His pieces have a gritty, yet delicate and elegant feel. They are ethereal, yet remarkably tangible. The drips of paint, the layering of the image across numerous pieces of paper and the familiar elements and details in each piece (shoes, a sofa, a mirror, etc.) make the work part of our world. At the same time, central to the images are figures that are detached and untouchable. Like a muse or angels, they elude the viewer and perhaps the artist as well.

Coming Exhibition: Christo Brock, Elsie Dye Sims, Kamil Vojnar

March 25 - April 19, 2014

Opening Reception:
Saturday, March 29, 5-8 p.m.

Artist Talk:
Saturday, April 12, 3 p.m.


Euphonious Eye, Christo Brock

Christo Brock, City / State, 2013 
Photograph on Aluminum 20 x 30 in

Christo Brock’s latest body of photography continues to explore detail in everyday settings. Elegant compositions emerge from macroscopic studies of both manmade and natural landscapes, and the everyday is rendered sublime through subtle use of color and digital paint. Brock zeros in on both color and form to create abstract images separate from his subjects’ original identities. From the languid bend of octopus tentacles to rusted industrial pipes, Brock uses a simple visual vocabulary of color, line, and shape to confront viewers on a visceral level. “I'm drawn to images on an intuitive and emotional level,” says Brock. I trust this reaction to inform what to capture, and, at times, enhance.” Brock adds another dimension to his work by printing his images on metal - further enhancing the bold color and luminosity within his photographs to physically reflect light. The intersection of man and nature is a recurring motif for Brock, as his images depict how the two environments both collide and intermingle in the 21st century.


Coastal Continuum II, Elsie Dye Sims

Elsie Dye Sims, Windswept, 2014 
Hand Colored Woodcut 39.5 x 34 in., ed 1/10

Nature’s cycle is at the root of Elsie Dye Sims’ detailed woodcut designs. The rhythmic ebb and flow of ocean waves, wind-blown flora and fauna are translated into powerful lines and gestural strokes as Sims’ coastal environments take on a bold sense of character. “My attention is drawn to the things in nature and our coast that exemplify the beauty that is found in the process of change,” says Sims. “The refinement and energy that occurs in the midst of wind and weather, the signs of time and transformation, are most compelling to me.” Unlike traditional black and white woodcut techniques, Sims individualizes each of her expressive compositions with color after printing the woodcuts. Her current series of such a large-scale medium convey the energy of the outdoors with a keen attention to the natural nuances of color and texture of the west coast.

Elsewhere, Kamil Vojnar

Kamil Vojnar, Beautiful, 2013 Mixed Media 36 x 36 in.

Ethereal figures inhabit the transcendental environments of Kamil Vojnar’s latest exhibition, “Elsewhere.” Like the fringes of a dream, the artist strips his images of any identifiable time or place, while also providing a sense of emotional familiarity. Religious iconography, flower petals, mechanisms of flight and wings resurface in Vojnar’s current work. “Sometimes there are wings. But those who carry them, they are no angels,” says Vojnar. “They just want to be free. (A) pair of wings is like a passport to get away.” Vojnar’s compositions begin with digitally layered photographs printed on various thin, Japanese papers which are then adhered to canvas or wood. Other images stand alone, printed on heavy art paper. Droplets of wax and oil paint add a tangible dimension to the artist’s photography while simultaneously emphasizing nuances of color and shadow. Vojnar’s subjects evoke an equal sense of mystery and spiritual contemplation in a modern era of uncertainties.

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!

TAG at Photo L.A.

January 16-19, 2014

Opening Night Benefit:
Thursday, January 16, from 6pm - 9pm : $80.00 ($100 at door) purchase tickets here

Public Hours:
Friday: January 17, 11am - 7pm
Saturday: January 18, 11am - 7pm
Sunday: January 19, 11am - 6pm
more information and purchase tickets here

TAG's Booth 622 will feature the work of Christo Brock, Caropl Kleinman, and Kamil Vojnar

L.A. Mart
1933 Broadway
Los Angeles, CA 90007
Google Map

Coming Exhibition: Christo Brock, Alison Lowe Platt, and Anne Ramis

Opening Reception:
Saturday, July 20, 2013, 5-8 p.m.

Artist Talk:
Saturday, August 3, 2013, 3-4 p.m.

Christo Brock:Color and Line

Christo Brock, Shadow, Gloss Aluminum, 40 x 26 in., 2013

Using his camera as a means of communication, artist Christo Brock’s compositions emerge from detailed observations of often ordinary objects. “I embrace color as a gateway to feeling and intuitive perception,” says Brock. After capturing the images, Brock digitally processes his photographs before printing them on metallic surfaces - further enhancing the intense color and luminosity within his work to physically reflect light. “Often through the processing of these images - images freed from their original, earthbound origins - new pictures are born,” says Brock. Numerous compositions focus on the intersection of man and nature, and how the two environments both collide and interact with the other. Whether through a building’s reflection or the rough texture of a painted tree root, Brock’s images consistently remind the viewer of this insightful interplay between these two worlds.

Alison Lowe Platt: Pushing Color

Alison Lowe Platt, Bright Woods, Oil on Canvas, 24 x 48 in., 2013

In her current exhibition, artist Alison Lowe Platt focuses on the psychology of color and its emotive properties. Working in the spirit of the post-impressionists, Platt’s high contrast palette brings forth vivid abstractions of natural forms. “When I’m working directly from life, I not only paint what I see, but hope to describe the essence and feeling of that life force,” says Platt. Stepping away from conventional Plein-Air painting techniques, Platt’s organic brushwork brings forth boldly illuminated forests and seascapes that balance high chroma intensity with muted tones to create atmospheric landscapes. Dramatic exaggerations of jagged rocks and shadowed forest floors are further enhanced by Platt’s evocative use of highlights to communicate her own adoration of the natural environment.

Anne Ramis: Rhinos

Anne Ramis, Adam and Eve in Exile, Acrylic on Mixed Media, 30 x 40 in., 2013

Diverging from her previous body of work exploring digital painting techniques, artist Anne Ramis’ current exhibition experiments with a broad spectrum of media. Painting, sculpture, mixed media and assemblage comprise her current show, which pays homage to the on-going rhino poaching crisis in Africa. Even while working with a specific subject, Ramis takes a spontaneous approach to her artwork. “I actually don’t have an end image in mind. I trust that I can get to a point where I’m satisfied,” says Ramis. In the spirit of her current work, Ramis will dedicate eighty percent of her show proceeds to supporting Save the Rhino International.