Coming Exhibition: All Member Group Show and Auction

January 7 - 25

Opening Reception and Live Silent Auction: Saturday, January 25, 2014, 5-8 p.m.

TAG Gallery is pleased to donate a portion of the group show proceeds to the Santa Monica - Malibu Education Foundation and will host an Opening Reception and live Silent Auction on January 25th from 5-8 pm to bidding customers.

Customers can purchase the $25 bidding ticket in advance by calling the gallery, 310-829-9556, or purchasing the ticket at the door for $40.

Here is a preview of the art in the exhibition:

Bergamot Holiday Open House

Saturday, December 14, 12-5pm

www.bergamotstation.com

Coming Exhibition: Shelly Lazarus, Ernie Marjoram, Jane Peterson

November 26 - December 21, 2013

Opening Reception:
Saturday, December 7, 2013, 5-8 p.m.

Artist Talk:
Saturday, December 14, 2013, 3-4 p.m.

Shelley Lazarus, Multiples

Shelley Lazarus, Want to Buy a Bridge (detail), Watercolor and Colored Pencil, 22 x 15 in., 2013

Watercolor and mixed media artist Shelley Lazarus’ latest series looks fondly at her native city of New York, and her current homes in Los Angeles and Ventura. Lazarus’ expressive brushwork portrays sentimental moments and landscapes with a mixed media technique combining watercolor, acrylics, graphite and colored pencil. In her current show, Multiples, Lazarus made her focus on the subject of grouping. “I grew up as one of five children and I learned that we all have to form our own identity,” says Lazarus. “This show is about that dynamic - shining through as part of a group.” From iconic views of the Brooklyn Bridge and Chrysler building to Ventura seascapes and more intimate interiors, Lazarus uses the idea of multiples to explore different perspectives. Proceeds will benefit the Robert David Lazarus Pulmonary Rehabilitation unit at Cedars Sinai Hospital.

Ernie Marjoram, Eye Candy

Ernie Marjoram, Gummy Worms, Oil on Board, 12 x 12 in., 2013

Borne out of his previous food studies of decadent main courses, artist Ernie Marjoram’s current exhibition is a playful look at candies and confections in their various shapes and sizes. Marjoram’s magnified perspective provides a glimpse into a sea of truffles, salt water taffy, foil-wrapped Hershey’s Kisses and nostalgic treats. The result is a vibrant study in color, as well as detailed pattern and texture. “I have a sweet tooth the size of Texas,” says Marjoram, who said his current work was more than a natural choice. “I saw this series as an opportunity to work with fun color and transparency.” Ribbed, colorful gummy worms become studies in transparent color gradation, while cellophane candy wrappers appear as reflective abstractions. Compositions are closely cropped to emphasize line and shape, referencing traditional still life, while exploring oil painting with a contemporary approach.

Jane Peterson, Fear of Falling

Jane Peterson, Symbiosis, Giclee', 5 x 7 in., 2013

Transitioning from her previous series Pith and Vinegar, mixed media artist Jane Peterson’s current exhibition uses characters to communicate contrasting human emotions of fear, trust, and comfort. Using current events as a reference, Peterson’s characters’ are expressive vehicles constructed from a range of two-dimensional and three-dimensional media including oil on canvas, pen and ink, and digital painting. Peterson’s figures are startlingly grotesque, yet familiar, as insects and shape-shifting human amalgams convey mixed passions and anxieties. Detailed antennae and liquid forms make reference to surrealism, while Peterson’s mixed media arrangements hold personal value to the artist. In a series of photographs, Peterson injects herself into the composition, communicating directly with her characters and the core struggle within. The bridge between real and surreal is blurred, as Peterson poses the question of what world is our own.

Coming Exhibition: Carol Kleinman, Linda Sue Price, Kamil Vojnar

October 29 - November 23, 2013

Opening Reception:
Saturday, November 2, 5-8pm

Artists' Talk:
Saturday, November 9, 3-4pm

Carol Kleinman, Paris Windows

Carol Kleinman, Covered Passage, Single Exposure on Canvas, 36 x 24", 2013

Windows are her inspiration, the camera is her tool. Artist Carol Kleinman’s latest show, “Paris Windows,” continues her unique work with reflections, merging reality with fantasy. In her new series of photographs on canvas, the Pacific Palisades resident and inveterate traveler captures a mysterious, multi-layered world as it actually existed on windows all over Paris, from the small streets of the Latin Quarter to the 19th century covered passages of the Right Bank. Kleinman’s surprising images are not composites, but rather single exposures capturing a complex interplay of light and form. “I want to challenge the viewer to look beyond everyday life. Each of my images existed in the world at a unique moment in time,” says Kleinman. “Nothing is set up or manufactured. What you see ... is what I saw.”

Linda Sue Price, Spiraling

Linda Sue Price, Purple Rain, Neon Tubes and Mixed Media, 36 x 12 x 15", 2013

Artist Linda Sue Price’s neon art is rooted in nostalgia. Referring to childhood memories of west coast road trips and visions of the animated motel signs and drive-in theaters from Long Beach to Las Vegas, Price’s work pays playful homage to a bygone era. Animation is prevalent in Price’s multilayered work, as twisted acrylic rods, glass and LED lights create vibrant landscapes of moving light. “I play with the glass, exploring and trying different combinations until I settle on a form I want to explore,” says Price. “I mix color, reflection, texture and animation to create a visual experience.” Price specifically designed her latest series to create a gentle, meditative sense of movement, contrasting the traditional use of animated signs as dazzling distractors. Price’s dynamic spiraled designs offer a colorful sense of whimsy while embracing the capabilities of neon as an artistic medium.

Kamil Vojnar, Life is a Journey

Kamil Vojnar, Flying Lessons, Mixed Media, 20 x 16", 2013

Life is a journey for artist Kamil Vojnar. Like pages from a scrapbook, his images document this journey. But rather than cover wide geographical distances, Vojnar travels vertically through the timeless, wistful emotions of the soul and heart. Soft figures float through ethereal landscapes of muted color as birds, balloons and airborne ships become forms of surreal locomotion in Vojnar’s current series. The artist’s scenes are comprised of digitally layered photographs on various papers which stand both alone or are adhered to canvas. Drips of wax and oil paint add touchable texture and simultaneously emphasize nuances of color and shadow. “I like to make a satisfying object,” says Vojnar. “A simple photograph is cold to me.” Vojnar’s collaged images provide a sense of spiritual contemplation, as motifs of wings and figures in flight act as modern relics that are both haunting and familiar.

Coming Exhibition: Camey McGilvray, Katherine Rohrbacher, Della Rollé

October 1 - 26, 2013 

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

Artist Talk:
Saturday, October 19, 3-4 p.m.

Camey McGilvray, Re:Wired

Camey McGilvray, Seven Moons, Wire, Wood, Acrylic, 37 x 37 x 2 in., 2013

Mixed media sculptor Camey McGilvray further explores the wire medium in her latest exhibition. Beginning with a line drawing, McGilvray starts her process on paper before creating multidimensional mixed media sculptures constructed of wood and wire. “Wire does what you want it to do,” says McGilvray. “It’s malleable and emphatic.” Actual strings of wire are incorporated into every piece as a narrative is told through the materials of the work itself. Wire thus emphasizes line, bringing McGilvray’s sketches to life in geometric and twisted patterns. According to McGilvray, the effect is that of a painting in the air. Intense blues, violets and greens are incorporated in works including “Seven Moons” and “Deep Purple” as coiled wire and wood create a sense of depth and motion.

Katherine Rohrbacher, Through the Looking Glass

Katherine Rohrbacher, Lupine, Oil on Canvas, 60 x 60 in., 2013

In this series of self portraits, artist Katherine Rohrbacher’s own journey with lupus, the commonly described “invisible disease,” is brought to light. Both surface and texture play a powerful role in Rohrbacher’s emotionally charged paintings as the viewer experiences the artist’s hidden reality through her looking glass. As Lewis Carroll writes, “'Who in the world am I?' Ah, that's the great puzzle!” Whether fading behind bold wallpapers and textured glitter, or submerging and emerging from reflective bathtub water, Rohrbacher’s portraits offer varying angles of her personality while communicating the nature of her experience with lupus. The liminal spaces of that which is seen and unseen by others are made key motifs in her portraiture. In a piece titled “Lupine,” Rohrbacher depicts herself in black and white before vibrant flowered wallpaper while wearing the mask of a wolf - a nod to the original Latin roots for “lupus.” “Through the Looking Glass” marks the first of two solo exhibitions by Rohrbacher this year. She is also a two time award winner of the national juried exhibition, the California Open.

Della Rollé, Word Play

Della Rollé, Surf's Up, Stainless Steel, 2013

Expanding upon her previous figurative work, sculptor Della Rollé takes on a more abstract approach to the depiction of the human form. Working in a field that is primarily visual, Rollé's work intertwines both the visual and the verbal together, narrowing in on the abstractions of the human body. Rollé's laser cut stainless steel creations carry a sense of humor in a webbed series of words. "Written words define who we are," says Rollé, a former English teacher. "Words in sculpture connect us to a place or feeling." Witty constructions include a piece titled "Create" - a figure with arms outstretched embracing creativity, while "Surf’s Up" includes a wave and surfer composed of California's most famous surf spots. "I see humor and beauty in all body types and find that the humor intrinsic in human behavior is reflected in the body," says Rollé. These reflections become both figurative and literal in the artist's exploration with metal materials and in her light hearted approach to sculpting.

Coming Exhibition: Lorraine Bubar, Katie Crown, Pam Douglas

Opening Reception:
Saturday, September 7, 2013, 5-8 p.m.

Artist Talk:
Saturday, September 21, 2013, 3-4 p.m.

Lorraine Bubar, My Lovely Planet

Lorraine Bubar, No Turning Back, Papercut, 27 x 47 in., 2013

Artist Lorraine Bubar's current exhibition celebrates the beauty of the planet’s various ecosystems. From Antarctic landscapes filled with penguins and whales to the snakes and tortoises of the red rocky desert, Bubar’s papercuts are kaleidoscopes of bold color, texture, and depth. Bubar captures the diverse taxonomy of flora and fauna that make each natural environment unique. Other scenes convey the chaos of the modern world as freeway interchanges and construction spread across the Los Angeles and Santa Monica landscapes, transforming the natural world. Her intricate lacework of layered papers illustrates both the fragility and the strength of the paper medium, as well as the fragility and strength of these environments. Bubar develops the historic tradition of papercutting into an artistic one. The artist’s interest in papercutting developed out of a love of traveling the world, hiking in its mountains, and a desire to honor its diverse cultures through an art form that crosses the boundaries of culture, art, and craft.

Katie Crown, Audiences and Waiting Rooms

Katie Crown, Shades, Ceramic, wood, steel wool, 66 x 53 x 6", 2013

In her latest exhibition, artist Katie Crown fuses her art with commonly shared social experiences. Her current subjects - audiences and waiting rooms - are fueled by the feelings of both anticipation and humor that can arise from these environments. "My sculptures are like concrete cartoons that depict different moods," says Katie Crown. "I love to make people laugh." Fanciful faces sing and laugh in unison in Crown's colorful ceramic sculptures as comedy is embedded within their forms. Others portray the alienation of individuals within the crowd. "There's something intrinsically engaging about depicting groups," says Crown. "The question arises as to who is watching whom. The viewer is in the hot seat." According to Crown, her audience series was inspired by her visit to the archaeological museum in Athens, Greece, where she encountered rows of tiny marble and ceramic busts. Her waiting room series grew from the many doctor visits during her experience with cancer, and morphed into surrealistic fantasies. Both experiences allowed for intense social observation, providing a new perspective on the sculptural medium.

Pam Douglas, The Life of Air

Pam Douglas, The Tree Stood Through It All, Inks and Mixed Media on Silk, 30 x 45", 2013

After exhibiting widely this year at the African American Museum, the Palm Springs Fine Art Fair, Gallery 417, and now TAG Gallery, artist Pam Douglas’ current show, The Life of Air: Paintings on Silk completes her series exploring Earth’s primal energies of water, fire, and air. Painting on silk panels, Douglas maneuvers inks and water-based media to seep through multiple layers. Unlike using traditional canvas, this technique creates a visual dimensionality that is simultaneously delicate and deep. “These new works experiment with transparencies where the motion of air flows through abstracted imagery. I chose air to explore the subtle power within an invisible energy,” says Douglas. “I also wanted to evoke the transparencies of our time where so much of life is permeable and fleeting.” These ethereal landscapes and abstractions explore the ways experimental materials transform the painting experience in a meditation on the veil between seen and unseen.

TAG California Open Selections p10

Enjoy some selections from the eighth annual TAG California Open, which runs through August 30th.

Jane Szabo, Eich
digital photograph, 19 x 25"

Jerry Weems, We are sorry about your car Mr. Charlie! The tow truck is on the way!!
oil on wood, 24 x 34.5"

Jerry Weems, Summertime and the Living Is Easy
oil on wood, 24 x 34.5"

Mimi Williams, Dad Conjures Sandy Koufax and Jackson Pollock
lino cut block print, 20 x 24"

Mimi Williams, Vivaldi's Women
lino cut block print, 22 x 26"

TAG California Open Selections p9

Enjoy some selections from the eighth annual TAG California Open, which runs through August 30th.

Catherine Ruane, Invocation
charcoal and graphite, 30 x 40"

Sam Shokati, Protect
acrylic on canvas, 20 x 16"

Stephen Spiller, This Is Me 01
digital text, photography, 18 x 36"

Stephen Spiller, This Is Me 02
digital text, photography, 14 x 36"

TAG California Open Selections p8

Enjoy some selections from the eighth annual TAG California Open, which runs through August 30th.

Lynsey Nelson, Dr. Watson
relief print, 22 x 18"

Lynsey Nelson, Heidi
relief print, 22 x 18"

Iriet Peshkess, Quiet Thought
digital and acrylic on canvas, 20 x 26"

Candace Primack, Simply
acrylic, 28 x 24"

Rohitash Rao, Can You Hear Them
gouache and spray paint on found fast food cup, 5 x 3"

Rohitash Rao, Cookie Monster on Caffeine
gouache and spray paint on found fast food cup, 4 x 3"

Rohitash Rao, Rooster
gouache and spray paint on found fast food cup, 5 x 3"

TAG California Open Selections p7

Enjoy some selections from the eighth annual TAG California Open, which runs through August 30th.

Laurie McCormick, Cuban Cool
digital photograph, 18 x 24"

Laurie McCormick, ZOOM
digital photograph, 16 x 21"

Beverly Mills, Vos Reves, Vos Cauchemars 15
collage, 25.25 x 19.25 x 1"

Beverly Mills, Vos Reves, Vos Cauchemars 24
collage, 17.25 x 21.25 x 1"

Hal Myers, Self Portrait, Chinati
photograph, 17 x 24"

TAG California Open Selections p6

Enjoy some selections from the eighth annual TAG California Open, which runs through August 30th.

Mario Laplante, St. Jean No. 2
monoprint: lithography, digital media, gold leaf, 17 x 17"

Robert Lebsack, Liberty is Dying
mixed media, 34 x 28"

Mark Leysen, Raquel
mixed media on wood panel, 16 x 28"

Dorothy Magallon, Out From the Shadows
assemblage, 19 x 9 x 12"

Dorothy Magallon, Tradition's Ghost
assemblage, 17 x 20 x 3"

Melissa Mahoney, Tangerine Dance
acrylic on canvas, 36 x 18"

TAG California Open Selections p5

Enjoy some selections from the eighth annual TAG California Open, which runs through August 30th.

Michael Kelly, Another Grand Bargain
graphite on paper, 31 x 37"

Michael Kelly, The Speaker Has The Floor
graphite on paper, 24 x 28"

June Kim, Knots, Red Thread Sculpture I
thread and plexiglas, 17 x 14 x 25"

Janos Lanyi, In Memoriam
acrylic on paper and canvas, 48 x 36"

Janos Lanyi, Industrial Revolution
acrylic on paper and canvas, 48 x 36"

Janos Lanyi, In The Garden of Entropy I
acrylic on canvas, 48 x 36"

TAG California Open Selections p4

Enjoy some selections from the eighth annual TAG California Open, which runs through August 30th.

Kathryn Hansen, A Song of Africa
graphite pencil, 10 x 26"

Kathryn Hansen, Obama the Elephant
graphite pencil, 16 x 20"

Richard Herd, Noir
oil, 48 x 36"

Ron Hutton, Dancing My Way Back to Me
ceramic, 17 x 17 x 3"

Kaija Keel, Mayan Scribe
glazed stoneware, 26 x 18 x 15"