Showing posts with label Alain Rogier. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alain Rogier. Show all posts

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Brushes Meets Beats Closing Party at TAG February 22

A night of free jazz and wine tasting!

Saturday, February 22, 7:30 - 9pm

The Jazz by Dan Radlauer and "Forte Jazz"
The wine by vintner Kevin Jussila and Kukkula Winery.
The art by Alain G. Rogier and Fielden Harper

7:30 to 8:00 -
View the art, taste the wine, meet the artist Alain G. Rogier, the musicians, and the Vintner all with a "Wine Set" in the background by Forte Jazz

8:00 to 8:45 -
Grab a seat and enjoy a set of Original Jazz and new interpretations of Jazz Standards.

8:45 to 9:00 -
Small talk, flirting, networking etc.

Forte Jazz:
Dan Radlauer - Keyboards,
Scott Roewe - Woodwinds
Ian Martin - Bass
Ruben Radlauer - Drums

Monday, February 3, 2014

TAG Interviews Alain Rogier

Alain Rogier, who is currently exhibiting his work at TAG, will be giving a talk “The Art of a Child of Survivors of Auschwitz” at LEO BAECK TEMPLE, 1300 N. Sepulveda Blvd, Los Angeles, 90049 Saturday, February 8, 1:45pm.

We asked him a few questions.

What are some of the themes you plan to discuss in your upcoming talk?
The issues for the second generation are complex in that they not only have to address the actual pain and suffering sustained by our parents, but how they dealt with those issues, how they transferred their lessons unto us, the psychological scars that this created that had to be dealt with. These are just some of the issues. Then, there are the issues of recognizing that the world has moved on, that we face children from Nazis that had absolutely nothing to do with the Holocaust and the questions of how to deal with them. On top of this, there are all of the historical facts that we have become privy to after the war that bring into question a lot of our perceptions of governments, society and political leaders. The theological questions regarding God and Heaven also come into play. These are some of the questions that I attempt to address in the art re the Holocaust.

Alain Rogier, Who Knows About Tomorrow?, Acrylic on canvas, 55 x 45 in
Where did you grow up? Do you feel that your early environment had an influence on your artistic development?
I was born in Paris, France shortly after the war. My parents were Holocaust survivors. Paris at the time was still recovering from the war and had yet to resurrect itself from the mental and physical hardships of the war. It was gritty. For work reasons, my parents moved to Glendale, Calif. after we emigrated to the U.S.. I was totally isolated as I did not speak any English and still wore clothes for French schools. My family stood out as sore thumbs in that environment. This experience reflects itself in my perspective of life, sensitivity to the role of the outsider, to the complexity and visceral hardships of life. The attempt to find serenity in the world we live in is one of the principal themes in my work as is the conflict between the forces of light and dark.

When did you first realize you were an artist (or have the courage to identify yourself as an artist)?
This is twofold struggle: the commercial and the internal identification. Confidence in my work has really not been lacking for years, but realizing that the work keeps evolving and the art stronger makes me question some of the assumptions that I made years ago about being an artist. I am quite comfortable on both fronts today to identify myself as an "artist." For me though, it means a continuing internal dialogue and challenge. I realize that you cannot allow the commercial side define you.

What are the key themes that run through your work?
The human condition, the struggle between the forces of light and darkness, the search for serenity/peace in a complex often cruel world. The need to engage and have people engaged in the dialogue is also very critical to me.

Alain Rogier, The Meeting, Acrylic on canvas, 55 x 66 in
What excites you about the medium/genre that you work in?
The endless permutations, challenges in creating images that both have something to say and that elicit a response/dialogue.

How do you decide on your color palette?
The palette is continually in flux. Experimenting, stretching my comfort zones adds to the dialogue and personal conversation. At the end of the day, however, the palette needs to remain strong and evoke emotions as well as mental engagement for me to enjoy it.

How do you know when a work is finished?
Each piece stands on its own. I have to get to a point where I think that I cannot add anything further to it nor edit anything as superfluous.

How do you like people to view your work—from across the room, or close up?
Both. Hopefully, the work will grab you from a distance and then one will see the depth and beauty of the paint and brushstrokes.

What would you like your viewers to take away from their encounter with your artwork?
That they are had a dialogue with the art and that it has caused them to think or feel something that they hadn't initially before encountering it.

What is the biggest challenge that you face as an artist?
Getting the work out there to be viewed.

Tell us about your studio -- where do you create?
We converted the garage into my studio. It works very well. Skylights and fresh air abound.

May we have a peek?
People are invited to contact me for a visit.

Alain Rogier, Electric Moment, Acrylic on canvas, 55 x 48 in
In addition to the talk on February 8, Alain will give an Artist's Talk at TAG moderated by museum curator Sara L. Cannon on Saturday February 15, 3pm.

Alain is also hosting a “Brushes Meet Beats” event at TAG with live jazz and wine tasting on Saturday February 22, 7:30-9:00pm.

Sunday, January 26, 2014

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.