Artist Spotlight: Fielden Harper -- Continuum

Fielden Harper, Sunday Afternoon, Mixed media, 60 x 25"

Fielden Harper dives into narrative driven assemblages that depict the development of Los Angeles from something small to a booming megalopolis. In her series, Continuum, each piece depicts three stages of growth: town, city, and metropolis. Harper's assemblages juxtapose form, shadow, and texture, utilizing painted wood, automotive beauty rims, and assorted found objects.

Fielden Harper, Century City, Mixed media, 86.5 x 21.5"

Fielden Harper, Santa Monica, Mixed media, 61 x 25"

Fielden Harper, Invictis II, Mixed media, 57 x 17"

Harper both pays homage to ever-changing Los Angeles and offers commentary on our all-encompassing culture of consumption, waste, and urban life.

Meet Fielden at an informal reception, Tuesday, February 13, 10am - noon.
Continuum will be on view until February 17.

Current Exhibition: Anne M Bray, Fielden Harper, Joan Horsfall Young

January 23 - February 17, 2018

Artists Reception: Saturday, January 27, 5-8pm

Coffee & Pastries with Fielden & Joan: Tuesday, February 13, 10am - Noon

Anne M Bray -- Road Trip

Anne M Bray, US60, Arizona, Pastel on paper, 30 x 38.5"

Fielden Harper -- Continuum

Fielden Harper, The Valley, Mixed media, 52 x 20"

Joan Horsfall Young -- Cottages

Joan Horsfall Young, Cottage, Oil, 8 x 10"

Artist Spotlight: Fielden Harper's "Directions"

Fielden Harper, Back to Basics, Acrylic on canvas, 12 x 36"

In our urban society many types of directions come to us in rapid succession while also requiring split second interpretation. Some directions are those we present to others and others are orders taken by us. They can jolt us into an immediate kinetic reaction or form a pattern that determines how we live. In her newest exhibition aptly titled Directions, Fielden Harper explores the vast array of possibilities life offers us its coded instructions and the signifiers by which we receive them. 

Fielden Harper, The Narrows, Acrylic on canvas, 40 x 34"

Using grids, patterns, and other signage, Harper interweaves literal pathways into her compositions, inviting and encouraging the viewer to follow the veins of the painting and the brush stroke, leading the viewer through multiple ways to arrive at a destination in her work. 

Fielden Harper, Urbanscape IX, Acrylic on wood, 41 x 61"

Other pieces instruct the viewer, asking them to stop, cross, or turn around. In this manner, Directions is an interactive show of sorts, with the artwork and the viewer participating in a mental game of “Simon Says.” With each individual piece, a coded visual and written language plays an integral role in how Harper decided on her subject matter. The reds of a stop sign, the curvature of a freeway, the patterns on a railroad crossing, all are inspirations for Harper. 

Fielden Harper, Freeway Series VII, Acrylic on canvas, 5 pieces, 43 x 10" each"

With life handing us an unlimited amount of choices we can take, Directions aims to show us the signs and reminders that the choices are always there when we stop, look, and listen.

Fielden Harper, Owl Eyes, Acrylic on canvas, 36 x 18"

The exhibition runs through March 17.

Meet Fielden at the Artist's Reception, Saturday February 25, 5-8pm

or at the Artist Panel, Saturday March 11, 3pm

Current Exhibition: Sunae Aum, Fielden Harper, Ernie Marjoram

Tuesday, February 21st – Saturday, March 18th, 2017

Opening Reception:
Saturday, February 25th, 5-8pm

Artist Panel Discussion:
Saturday, March 11th, 3pm

Sunae Aum – Noise for the Future

Sunae Aum, Noise For the Future, Mixed media

Fielden Harper – Directions

Fielden Harper, Crossing, Acrylic on canvas, 34 x 20"

Ernie Marjoram – Landscapes of New Mexico

Ernie Marjoram, Abiquiu, Oil, 16 x 20"

Coming Exhibition: Donn Delson, Fielden Harper, Della Rollé

Tues. September 29th - Sat. October 24th, 2015

Opening Reception: Saturday, October 3rd, 5-8 p.m.

Artist Talk: Saturday, October 17th, 3 p.m.

Donn Delson

Stillness/Motion

Donn Delson, Night at the Racetrack, Giclee archival pigment print, 24 x 16"

Cracks, birthed and cemented in a tapestry of parched earth. Celestial skycaps, sentinels of the night. Windswept dunes, sculpted and groomed. All are participants in Donn Delson’s visual study of stillness and motion in Death Valley and the Mojave Desert.
Delson is an image collector. He believes that successful photographs compel in the viewer, an unanticipated curiosity or emotion. “In this study, I was drawn to the negative space, muted tones, and unexpected vistas arrayed before me in desert and sky.” A self-taught photographer for more than 50 years, Delson concentrates primarily on landscape, nature, and abstract photography. His work often appears more illustrative than photographic.

“The layered complexity of his work is masked in simple tranquility...” 

Angela Romeo, CollidingWorldsTV

Fielden Harper
Renewal

Fielden Harper, And the Beat Goes On, Oil on canvas, 36 x 30"

In her most recent body of work, artist Fielden Harper explores the concepts of renewal and growth, both personally and environmentally. As we experience our most severe drought to date, Southern California residents have begun to see a change in the landscape they once knew. Although transformed by the new conditions, Harper’s work symbolizes the continued beauty that can be found in adapting to our changing surroundings, reminding us that every challenge we encounter is an opportunity for growth.
With change comes a new start, new ways of observation, and a new mindful awareness of our environment. For Harper, the bound palm trees illustrated with sun washed colors represent not only the changing landscape, but also the changes within. While the bound palm is a sign that construction is in the works, it is often the final touch in the process of progress and renewal. The fronds are tied together to prevent injury when the trees are being transported and to keep the young buds moist. The streamlined shape also insures that there will be less wind resistance to stress the shallow roots until they are well established. When the root begins to receive nourishment, the bonds are broken so the branches can spread and the tree can begin to grow.

Della Rollé
Surfaces

Della Rolle, Laughter Heals Life, Stainless steel, 28.5 x 12.5 x 12.5"

The sculptures in Della Rollé's current exhibition, Surfaces, represent her continued experimentation with modern techniques and interlaces them with traditional bronzes. Terra cotta, stainless steel, and wood are but a few of the surfaces Rollé tackles and molds in this body of work. 

Words have power for Rollé. Often times the verbal becomes the visual while the surfaces deploy embedded messages with whimsical twists, portraying her love for the various shapes and sizes of the human body. Rollé's sculptures blend carnal indulgences with wit, but also invite the viewer to smile and think. Form and floridity become one. It is just not the material that makes the artwork, but the material surface itself is the artwork.

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.

Coming Exhibition: Fielden Harper and Alain Rogier

January 28 - February 22, 2014

Opening Reception:
Saturday, February 1, 5-8pm

Artist Talk:
Saturday, February 15, 3pm
moderated by Sara L. Cannon, museum curator

Closing Party:
Saturday, February 22, 7:30-9pm
Brushes Meet Beats Free jazz and wine tasting.
(details to follow in a separate post)


Fielden Harper, Urban Mosaic

Fielden Harper, From the Pier, Acrylic on Canvas, 30 x 36 in., 2013

In her most recent body of work, artist Fielden Harper expands her Santa Monica landscape focus to include the larger urban area of Los Angeles. Harper’s architectural painting technique serves as a visual record of the growth and development she encounters on a daily basis. In a city as vast and multifaceted as Los Angeles, Harper says that she feels it is impossible to capture its essence all at once as it comes to her in small, powerful bursts of color and energy. Painting cityscapes and graceful freeway patterns on wood as well as traditional canvas surfaces, Harper’s work echoes her environment. Webs of skyscrapers and varied residential landscapes highlight the equally varied communities of Harper’s experience. Harper’s work reveals the city’s ever-changing fragments, stitching these images together into an urban mosaic.

Alain Rogier, Complexity in Search of Serenity

Alain Rogier, Untitled, Acrylic on Canvas, 45 x 52 in., 2013

Artist Alain Rogier’s current work continues to examine the depth and complexity of the human condition, in search of beauty, serenity and solace. Rogier’s work seeks to illustrate a positive view of humanity amidst a world that constantly challenges us. While bringing to bear a personal history as the child of Holocaust survivors who met at Auschwitz, Rogier’s work explores art as a tool for understanding and its ability to transcend and illuminate ideas. Abstract shapes and lines engulf Rogier’s large scale canvases. Using a vibrant, high-contrast color palette and bold, active brushstrokes, the artist’s compositions reject passivity, demanding dialogue and engagement with the viewer.

Discovery and Renewal March 27 - April 21, 2012 Featuring:Fielden Harper, Sally Jacobs, Sue Keane

Opening Reception: Saturday, March 31, 2012 5-8 PM
Conversation with the Artists: Saturday, April 14, 2012, 2 pm

Fielden Harper, In a New Light
Attracted to the architectural environs underneath the Santa Monica pier, Harper focuses on the repetition of the jetty’s architectural supports and on the expansive ocean rhythmically flooding the area. The contrast of the solid structure with the fluidity of the waves exposes the restless, incessant energy of the surf coiling around massive piers. Harper’s palette of blues, browns, and grays highlights the muted spectrum of light, which reaches the concealed and obscured space. Illusive shadows cast on wet sand and whispering sea spray divulge the secrets of this secluded spot.

Sally Jacobs,Nourishing Art

The vegetables and fruits at Los Angeles’ outdoor farmers’ markets inspire the palate and the palette. In her new show, Nourishing Art, contemporary botanical artist Sally Jacobs depicts the vegetables she loves to paint and cook. The watercolors show us the beauty and vibrancy of what’s fresh from the market – from the “common” carrot or onion, to the more esoteric celery root or watermelon radish. Delectable to eat and view.

Sue Keane, Through the Fire

Sue Keane’s ceramic works reanimate fragments of clay into unified forms. Glazing, firing, and temperature interactions produce an inorganic, nonmetallic solid, as if a phoenix rising from the ashes. As a result, Keane’s generative process extracts a raw and organic life force. Her minimalist and colorful geometries align with the work of Abstract Expressionist George Ohr. By juxtaposing the polarities of black and white, organic and inorganic, hot and cold, we can piece together these elements to behold a singular, renewed form of art.

New Exhibition Featuring Joan Horsfall Young, Darlyn Susan Yee, and Fielden Harper

TAG PRESENTS
New Exhibition Featuring
Joan Horsfall Young, Darlyn Susan Yee, and Fielden Harper

February 1 - February 26, 2011

Reception:
Saturday, February 5, 5- 8 PM

Artists' Q & A Panel:
Wednesday, February 9, 7 PM

Joan Horsfall Young: abc...z

In her latest exhibit, abc...z, local artist Joan Horsfall Young explores the beauty in simplicity with her 12" x 12" oil paintings of fruits and vegetables, depicting one for each letter of the alphabet. Her series of twenty-six images celebrates what she calls "the great sustainers of life." Young's inspiration for this series came from her recent visit with her granddaughter in Shanghai. She explains "I needed a way to teach my young granddaughter the American alphabet, and I found the fruits and vegetables in the local farmer's market to be great didactic tools for teaching. In the first days we conquered 'T' for tangerine and 'L' for leek." As a follow up for more practice for the little one, Young started to paint the vegetables and fruits as they went along. "I learned a lot about conscious eating and how these everyday market treats could nourish our bodies and our souls. I hope these paintings will capture that same nostalgia for others too."

Darlyn Susan Yee: Metamorphic Metaphors

In her new exhibition, Metamorphic Metaphors, Darlyn Susan Yee creates a series of body-like cocoons knitted with brightly colored commercial yarns to symbolize our essence, style, and transformation as we proceed through life. Suspended from the ceiling, each piece mimics the cocoon of a not-yet-hatched butterfly swaying with the breeze to evoke thoughts of dance or play. "In each piece, I try to explore how our personalities and physical characteristics are still evident despite our efforts and societal requirements to conceal them," explains Yee. Ms. Yee prefers using hands-on processes to achieve the breadth of texture and form in this series, combining both hand knitting and manually manipulated machine knitting techniques.

Fielden Harper: Parallels

In Parallels Fielden Harper explores thematic similarities between her local landscape and distant scenes from Greece and Turkey. After a recent trip to Greece and Turkey, Harper was inspired to juxtapose scenes from both areas with well known landmarks from her own hometown. "There were many scenes in my travels that reminded me of similar places in and around Santa Monica. As different as these places seemed on the surface, the artist in me started to see the universal patterns emerging in the disparate," explains Harper. Creating unique pairings of two separate paintings, Harper invites her viewers to discover the universal essence emerging from two seemingly different vistas like the Getty and the Parthenon; or the skyline of Istanbul and the towering palms of Santa Monica. "It is amazing to be on the other side of the world, and be continually reminded of home," states Harper.

TAG Gallery Interviews Fielden Harper

Fielden Harper

Santorini

40 x 20" acrylic on canvas

Working with acrylic on wood and on canvas, Fielden Harper's paintings focus on the ways man has chosen to enclose his space.

Can you indentify at what point in your life you decided to be an artist?

I do not think I ever made a conscious decision; I just always was making things and assumed that I was an artist.

Can someone be taught to be an artist or is it something you’re born with?

I think that having a special way of thinking and seeing is what makes a person an artist and some people are born with it, but we can all learn from exposure. I have to think that way because I am a teacher and I believe deeply in that we can all be taught.

Who are your favorites artists/art influences - either historically or contemporary?

Diebenkorn and Hopper were the first artists I ever felt were my influences. Long before that I stood at the sewing machine and watched my grandmother make doll clothes and dresses for me from flat pieces of cloth and something was born in me watching her. Also, my mother nurtured my need to make art

How do you go about making a new work? What steps, or process do you use or go through?

I will be doing something and suddenly an idea will come into my mind. It will consume me and I cannot rest until I finally work it out on paper. That sketch tells me size and shape - the color just comes to me when I pick up the brush. I typically lay out the painting in one burst of energy. Then, I circle it and think about it before I go back in to refine it. The time varies, but I usually have several weeks between beginning a painting and completing it. If I am making an assemblage, I go more slowly. It may take months to complete a piece. I go slowly and carefully - my work pattern is opposite of the way I approach painting.

Do you work in more than one medium? If so, do they influence each other, and how?

I paint, sew, make assemblage, garden, cook hold my grandchildren and tell them stories - it is all part of a whole. I think that you can find traces of my thinking and my style in all that I do.

What do buildings mean to you? What is it about buildings that fascinates you so much, makes you want to paint them?

I have always been fascinated by the way in which Man has chosen to enclose space. I love the way the light changes on them throughout the day.

Which of your recent works did you find the most challenging to create? Why?

I am just finishing a painting of the Santa Monica Hospital and it has been so difficult because of the perspective involved. I must have reworked it four times over the past two months.

Who do you paint for?

Me.

Fielden Harper's exhibition opens February 1, 2011.