Brigitte Schobert, David Twamley, and Anne Ramis

Brigitte Schobert, David Twamley, and Anne Ramis

July 20- August 14
Artists' Reception: Saturday, July 24th, 5-8 PM


Brigitte Schobert, "Dreams and Reality"

In her latest series, printmaker Brigitte Schobert exhibits subtly surreal prints from etching and relief plates that explore the edge between dreams and reality. Using printing techniques that have not changed much since Duerer’s or Rembrandt’s time, Schobert strives to engage the viewer with images that can be puzzling and freed from reality in order to leave room for the beholder’s own fantasy. “The ideas for my images are derived from many different sources: happenings in daily life; movies I watch; books I read; or my numerous travels to foreign countries. I see my work as a journey and invite the viewer to be an active participant in the unfolding of that journey,” say Schobert.

As an artist, Brigitte Schobert is a late starter and she spent most of her professional life as a scientist at UC Irvine. After being involved in the art scene for several years, she realizes that there are a lot of similarities between art and science, and sees her transition as a moderate shift in methods and goals rather than a radical change. She has received training in Graphic Design, Drawing and Printmaking at UCI and Saddleback College. Her work was shown in numerous competitions throughout the US. It is in the homes of private collectors and at the Center for Political Graphics, Los Angeles. She is a member of the LA Printmaking Society and TAG Gallery.

David Twamley, "Miniature Collages"

David Twamley’s latest works entitled “Miniature Collages” use collage and mixed-media to celebrate the complexity of Western society which he describes as “a collage of experience in and of itself.” These works are a continuation of Twamley’s ‘LA’ series, which is inspired by the colors, shapes, and patterns we see around Los Angeles. David’s fascination with smaller pieces of artwork, such as Persian miniatures, also influences this body of work. He explains, “I find that creating smaller pieces forces the viewer to look very closely and become more involved with the piece.”

Twamley views his collage technique as a way of ordering sensory input rather than being overwhelmed by it. He states, “It’s an ideal medium to explore diversity,” and one finds this to be true in his creative use of color and light in his miniature works. Creating art for over 30 years, David has displayed work in numerous galleries throughout the US, and in several private collections. He has received training at the University of Minnesota, the University of Southern California, and the Otis Art Institute. David Twamley is a member of the TAG Gallery in Santa Monica, California.

Anne Ramis, "Most Recent Work"

Creating art since high school, Anne Ramis’ new show at TAG Gallery explores the three themes of “color play in abstraction,” “famous kisses,” and classical “horror” characters through the endlessly experimental medium of digital prints. Her varied show highlights familiar characters like Dracula and Frankenstein and famous kisses like that of Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. In her abstract images, Anne pulls the unconscious connections of shape, color, size, and patterns to the surface through a series of spontaneous decisions made during her creations process.

“Each year, I explore a different medium to uncover the spontaneity of the art process,” say Ramis. “Using a variety of methods encourages me to keep evolving in my work.” With this latest series, Ramis cleverly captures a playful take on pop culture horror and kisses. “The digital prints really lent themselves to exploring the finer details of these themes and was a particularly exciting new arena for my art work,” says Ramis. Trained at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the Brentwood Art Center, Anne uses her work to feed and reflect all aspects of her life.

The reception for Anne Ramis, David Twamley, and Brigitte Schobert will be held on Saturday, July 24th 5-8 pm, and the exhibition runs from July 20 through August 14th at TAG Gallery in Bergamot Station, 2525 Michigan Avenue, #D3 in Santa Monica. For more information, please see www.taggallery.net or call 310-829-9556.

Anne Ramis Interview

The Infamous
Anne Ramis

Exploring new mediums with a playful approach, Anne Ramis allows her process to take unexpected turns and deliver happy surprises.

How long have you been an artist?

I have been ready to call myself an artist since 1983.

Why do you make art?

Because it feels good. It shows me parts of myself that I don't know or expect. It's fun. It's problem-solving. I go into a kind of trance state and get to use everything I've accumulated up to that point.

Can you name a few of the most important artists to you?

Massacio, the Master of the Portinari Altarpiece, Caravaggio---so many of those I studied in Art History. My studies didn't get up to contemporary art, so I'm kind on my own after WWII.

Did you go to art school?

Yes. High School, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and Brentwood Art Center.

Do you work in more than one medium?

Yes. Every year I work in a different medium, often combining them. I'm really motivated by having a show every year. It's freeing and it keeps me off the streets, or in the streets--a little of both.

What is your thought process while working?

I actually don’t have an end image in mind. I trust that I can get to a point where I'm satisfied. There's always the problem of going on past that. The process takes over and surprising myself is integral to that.

Is there a separation between your "normal" life and your art making?

No. All aspects of my life feed and reflect each other.

Do you find that the solitude is good for your art?

Yes and no. Sometimes solitude doesn't feel healthy. Often the ideas are generated from interactions with others and then built up when I start to play with them on my own.

Anne Ramis's exhibition opens July 20, 2010.

An Interview With Brigitte Schobert

Red Carpet
etching
Brigitte Schobert

Brigitte Schobert encourages discovery with her subtly intriguing, often amusing, etchings and linocuts.

Where did you grow up? Do you consider where you are from an
influence on your artistic development?

I grew up in Germany, and yes, I think that there is an influence,
because German Expressionist art and woodcuts in particular made a
great impression on me and I always wanted to do something like that.

When did you first realize you were an artist or have the courage to think of yourself as an artist?

I still have a problem thinking of myself as an artist. I was always
interested in art, but spent my professional life as a scientist and
waited to do art until after my retirement.

I have a friend who is a printmaker and she told me to come by to
print something together. I went off to the art store and bought some
linoleum and used the lino cutter, which I still have from my high
school days, and I carved my first two linocuts. I liked it and found
I wanted to do more and that is how I grew into it.

What process or medium do you use for your work, and why?

I use etchings, linocuts, and also photography. When people ask me
why I prefer these media to painting, I usually give them this
answer: "Paper burns better than canvas."

But seriously, I don't know! I just feel attracted to it and I like
the process of carving and working with the knife.

Will you share with us the process?

In etchings are many fine details and it takes a long time to compose
and draw the picture on paper and then I have to draw it again on the
etching plate. The next step is to etch it and add aquatint to it.
This whole process takes weeks and weeks. After that I pull a proof and
sometimes I have to make corrections and finally I can print the
edition. Even with experience it is always a surprise to pull the
first print and I am happy when it comes out how I expected it to be.

With linocut there are different rules. It is not possible to work
with very fine detail and you have to concentrate on the most
important lines to create the image. It is similar to a photography
with high contrast.



Leporello
etching
Brigitte Schobert

Where do you find inspiration for your works? Does your own life
experience play a role in your imagery?

It comes from different sources like books, movies, events in the
news and photos. I basically came from photography to printmaking.
With digital photography it is a whole new world to be able to work
on the photos and print them yourself. Printmaking was a next step
for me after printing my own photographs.

Do your images come then from your photography?

Well, not always or not entirely. I may use the photograph as a
starting point, but in photography there are different rules. A good
photograph may be perfect with very little and just a small detail,
but for etchings or woodcuts you need more to make a good image.
Sometimes I use part of a photograph as a model and modify it or add
to it whatever comes to my mind.

How often do you start a new work?

Now with a show coming up I made a list of what I wanted to do and
just went down the list. On average I start a new work every month,
but the projects always overlap. If I weren't having the show I might
have experimented with new and unfamiliar methods, but they don't
always work out.

How do you know when a work is finished?

I have in mind what I want to put into my design and I develop and
draw it at first on paper. When this is done it is done. Only very
few corrections can be made at the stage of printing.

Who do you make art for?

Like many artists, I make it mainly for myself. However, I am happy
when other people enjoy it too.



Brigitte Schobert at work in the studio.

Brigitte Schobert's exhibition; Dream and Reality, opens July 20, 2010.