Current Exhibition: Betty Sheinbaum Retrospective

TAG Gallery is proud to host a retrospective for founding member Betty Sheinbaum. This exhibition, running now through December 16th, covers an expansive look at the artist's exploration in several different mediums over the course of more than five decades of her artistic practice.
This exhibition showcases 98 works, including previously unseen pastel work, paintings, collage, sketches, and abstract experimentation with different found objects.
Throughout her life Sheinbaum carried a natural and comforting humility that manifested itself not only through her artworks, but also through her personal philosophy and ethos. Sheinbaum never once created for recognition or praise, but to learn through the process of doing, of being a perpetual student.
Art Critic Marlena Donohue has said, “Coming to art seriously in the 1950s, long before feminism carved for women the freedom to select and juggle roles, Betty Sheinbaum doggedly tucked art into the stolen space between marriage, mothering, political activism, and astute art collecting. She managed to fit making art into a life that included raising four children, working with her husband in his political activities and running two successful bi-costal galleries of contemporary craft…Whatever else Betty Sheinbaum has accomplished in her busy life, she is indeed an artist. She is an artist by virtue of an honest, unpretentious desire to hone rather than rush her skills, by virtue of the inventiveness of her productivity and mostly by virtue of her quiet, unrelenting commitment."

Click here to see more installation images.

Opening Reception: Saturday, December 9, 5-8pm
Exhibition runs through December 16, 2017

Coming Exhibition: Joe Kabriel, Betty Sheinbaum

Tues. Jan 26 - Sat. Feb. 20

Reception: Saturday, Jan. 30, 5-8pm

Artist Talk: Saturday, Feb. 13, 3pm

Joe Kabriel

Inspiration Road

Joe Kabriel, Walking Pink Cloud, Oil & mixed media, 40 x 40"

Joe Kabriel’s recent works draw inspiration from the shorelines and canyon roads of Southern California. Varying rock formations play a seminal role in many of Kabriel’s images. As he notes, “Some cultures believe that rocks contain spiritual energy, which when released provides enlightenment. People hold energy as well and, like rocks, are shaped by life events.”  Kabriel uses this juxtaposition of rocks and energy in his work as a metaphor for exploring the relationship between life’s forces, inspiration, and enlightenment.

Many of the pieces in Kabriel’s exhibition, Inspiration Road, begin as an exploration of ideas and images in a sketchbook. From the sketchbook the work is assessed to determine which images will be reworked into larger traditional drawings using subtle chiaroscuro techniques, or which become more dream like images using encaustic wax. Other examples of his work use a combination of different sized canvas panels to create the structure for his oversized paintings.

Betty Sheinbaum

Between the Lines

In her latest body of work, Between the Lines, artist Betty Sheinbaum continues to explore the mysteries and challenges of painting.  Feeling there is no right way to create an image, Sheinbaum says the final outcome of her work is always left up to fate.  With an undetermined end goal, she is constantly looking, learning, and imagining new ways to feel fulfilled.  For Sheinbaum, a painting is continually open ended. Always in search of new ideas to put on canvas, Sheinbaum finds inspiration in learning.  "As a constant student eager to see things from a new perspective, my work is never a mission accomplished.”

Coming Exhibition: Daniel Janotta, Shelley Lazarus, Betty Sheinbaum

Tues. March 24 – Sat. April 18, 2015

Opening Reception: Saturday, March 28, 5-­8 pm

 
Artist Talk: Saturday, April 11, 3pm

STREETS OF LA, Daniel Janotta 

Daniel Janotta, LA Night 1, Oil on Canvas, 36 x 24 in

LA is a city of commuters. We spend countless hours getting to and from our jobs. Dan Janotta’s interest is in these hours. We drive as the sun rises and sets, yet we generally only appreciate this when the backdrop is a panoramic view of the ocean, city or mountains. Janotta’s paintings illustrate the beauty and serenity in those moments that the rest of us just try to rush through. He see’s what most of us can’t wait to get past. Streets of LA reintroduces the viewer to his/her surroundings. The work reminds us to take everything in and see the beauty that is all around.

Dan’s painting style and compositions reflect the Southern California environment of strong sunlight, dense vehicular movement, and beautiful landscape. His oil paintings have distinct brush strokes that help to define the areas of color within the composition and provide a level of abstraction for the realistic content.

FIGURING IT OUT, Shelley Lazarus

Shelley Lazarus, 3 Women, Watercolor on Paper 31.5 x 44"

The figures that Shelley Lazarus captures in this show are very personal to her. Models who have become friends over the years, family, or just people she may have met or seen and photographed on one of her many trips. She captures their emotion and involvement at the time, through various mediums and styles. The painting methods for these figures are varied depending on how she wants to portray them. She never hesitates to experiment with new papers and media.

Shelley was born and educated in New York, where as a teenager she attended classes at Pratt College while still in high school. As a founding member of TAG she takes great pride in the gallery and her ability to present her work there. Her works have received numerous awards and her paintings can be seen in both private and corporate sectors here and abroad.

All proceeds from this show will go to the Robert David Lazarus Pulmonary Rehabilitation Unit at Cedar-­Sinai Hospital.

STRIKE A POSE, Betty Sheinbaum 

Betty Sheinbaum, GQ, Acrylic on Canvas, 28.5 x 22.5 in

Betty Sheinbaum’s current series, Strike a Pose, features acrylic studies on canvas with an emphasis on drawing and painting figures. Sheinbaum spent the past year concentrating on works where her subjects were live models with an emphasis on the use of black, white and gray. Rather than her usual tack of capturing people in public places, she has chosen to explore figure painting with more attention to the form. She still conveys a certain mood or air to each figure, expressing the feelings of the models through the tone of the moment captured in time. Immediacy is not a focal point in this series. This time out, Sheinbaum reveals a different side of her work; one of calm, pensive and thought-­filled subjects.     

Coming Exhibition: Don Adler, Brigitte Schobert, Betty Sheinbaum

Opening Reception:
Saturday, March 1, 5-8 p.m

Artist Talk:
Saturday, March 15, 3 p.m

Don Adler, Romance the Stone

Don Adler, Love Seat, Marble 10 x 19 x 12in

In his latest exhibition, sculptor Don Adler celebrates the romance between artist and media. Transitioning from previous smaller scale works to larger, organic compositions, Adler continuesto explore rich, multidimensional colors in his sculptures. Contrasting use of light and dark, negative space and positive volume, Adler expressively illustrates the emotion and physicality of his sculptural process. “Each creation is meant to draw the viewer into the work,” says Adler. “Then, contrary to many prohibitions, [I want to] encourage the observer to make both visual andtactile contact to experience the sensuality and power generated.” Adler’s abstract forms are enhanced by a range of color - from subtle pink and veined amber marble to black Belgian marble. Fusing natural stone with a dexterous carving technique, Adler’s sensitive attention to detail highlights the individual character of each stone piece.

Brigitte Schobert, Reflections

Brigitte Schobert, Untitled 180, Oil on Paper 20 x 24in

Brigitte Schobert’s series Reflections features a new body of vibrant works on paper and canvas inspired by her travels abroad. Drawing from memories of intricately decorated homes, colorful clothing, flowers and food from the Mediterranean, India, Indonesia and Mexico, Schobert intuitively weaves her experiences into her abstract imagery. Her bold color palette engages the senses, mimicking the rich impression that these cultures had on her own. Schobert meticulously layers oil paints using an etching press and a transfer process from plexiglass plates to create multidimensional works on paper. Her acrylic work on canvas exhibits a close attention to texture as she applies fabrics, tissue paper, and even sand to the surface before adding multiple translucent layers of paint to the canvas to create a sense of depth. Gestural strokes and shapes emerge from colorful environments as each work conveys individually emotive sensations.

Betty Sheinbaum, Relax and Play

Betty Sheinbaum, Ben and Boys, AcrylicOnCanvas, 16 x 20in

Betty Sheinbaum’s current series, Relax and Play features acrylic portrait studies of people at leisure. Sheinbaum continues to explore light and form through her subjects - people and pets in public spaces, caught in unassuming, candid moments. Using flat, geometric shapes and large fields of bold color, the artist creates shallow space, forcing her figures into the foreground. The immediacy of Sheinbaum’s technique captures fleeting moments in time as her swift, visible brushstrokes highlight leafy park scenes and outdoor escapes. Sheinbaum’s playfully colorful scenes portray a keen eye for the attitude and personality of her Los Angeles subjects, while sharing a relateable viewpoint with her audience - that of the observer.

Echo, Eco, Econ April 24 - May 19, 2012Featuring Artists: Anne M Bray, Katherine Kean, Betty Sheinbaum

Opening Reception: Saturday, April 28, 2012, 5-8 p.m.
Conversation with the Artists: Saturday, May 12, 2012, 3 p.m.

Anne M Bray Pattern Recognition II

For the past six years, Anne M Bray has been designing prints for an intimate apparel company which has led her to re-examine her pattern-based work. In Pattern Recognition II, Bray showcases mixed media monoprints on paper and large canvas banners developed over thirty years ago. The inherent repetitive nature of the silkscreen process forms a structure for multiple overlays of abstract marks. Her scratches and scrawled marks appear almost as if written words, but instead result in a conceptualized language. Combining the forces of quick gesture, spontaneous marks, and patterned lines, Bray's work evokes a sense of both calm and vitality.

Katherine Kean Murmuration

Kean's Murmuration depicts the exhilarating, liberating, and often mystifying experience of watching birds flock together in complex loops, figures, spirals, and other choreographies. "Whenever I interpret nature on canvas, I often look up to admire the patterns of cloud and rain in the sky. Sometimes it's the birds I notice, the way in which they fly from place to place during their pre-roosting ritual, growing in strength and numbers with each to and fro," writes Kean. To capture the intricate grace of the flock's aerobatic maneuvers, Kean paints the birds, glazes them over, and repaints. The result: an occasional wing, beak, or tail that stands out amidst the chaos of the flock's fluctuating movements, and an image that questions the mysterious border between perception and understanding.

Betty Sheinbaum 99% & Counting

Painting a portrait is the intimate process of "getting to know you, getting to know all about you." It is a wonderful way to be in touch with a single person. But besides merely painting a portrait, Sheinbaum enjoys watching people: what they do, their relationship to one another and their activities. She watches people's lives through their hearts and souls and translates that to canvas.

TAG Interview With Betty Sheinbaum

Betty Sheinbaum
Lunch at the Beach
acrylic on canvas 20 x 20"

When did you first realize you were an artist (or have the courage to identify yourself as an artist)?

Around 30 years old. I had four children and could start going to art classes. I painted at home in the living room and studied art history.

For whom do you make art?

Me

Betty Sheinbaum
Checkers
acrylic on canvas 20 x 20"

What's new with your work? Have you learned any new techniques, or faced any new challenges this past year or so?

I have been working on drawing and it is interfering with the freedom of painting what I want to express. It is difficult to become adventuresome - I haven't succeeded to my satisfaction.

How do you know when a work is finished?

Never

Do you have a favorite painting? (Yours or somebody else's)

Many. Works by Diebenkorn and Paul Wonner.

Betty Sheinbaum at work.

Betty Sheinbaum's exhibtion begins April 24, 2012.

Loss, Life, and Fire Betty Sheinbaum, Grace Swanson, Stephanie Visser April 26, 2011 - May 21, 2011

Loss, Life, and Fire 

Betty Sheinbaum, Grace Swanson, Stephanie Visser 

April 26, 2011 - May 21, 2011

*Reception: Saturday April 30 5-8pm

Artists' Panel: Saturday May 14 3pm

People II 

For sixty years Betty Sheinbaum has been vigorously documenting figures and landscapes in bold colors that have become the hallmarks of her work. At ninety years old, she is still painting strong. In her new series, People II, she creates "peoplescapes"; characters in their daily lives, performing activities they enjoy, in the places they love.  A founding member of the co-operative TAG Gallery, Betty embodies the artistic spirit and communal mission of the gallery.

Close Cover Before Striking 

Grace Swanson elevates the matchbook from memento to fine art. In Close Cover Before Striking, her new exhibit of watercolor paintings at TAG Gallery, she illuminates the world of matchbook collecting, otherwise known as phillumeny.  Swanson takes her extensive personal matchbook collection to create a stunning, brightly colored series of works that she describes as "memory-quilts" of well-known restaurants and hotels. She emphasizes the bold, graphic nature of matchbook advertising by heightening and juxtaposing complementary colors, and playing with chiaroscuro to create three-dimensional form. Her refined technique of applying multiple layers of rich glaze intensifies the luminous quality of watercolor. 

Perseus

In the wake of the deaths of both of her parents, Stephanie Visser explores the loss of the parental relationship, and its influence on one's identity. Perseus, her new exhibit of paintings at TAG Gallery, is named for a galaxy cluster whose central black hole was recently reported to emit a single note.  Visser delves into the note of bereavement, lost connections and loneliness working within a complex process. She layers and sands away partial surfaces, transfers pigment, and makes marks to create an ethereal stratified image. This built-up layering of emotion, paint and mark-making is a signature characteristic of her work.

 *SMMOA is holding their annual Incognito event. Please arrive early to secure parking.

An Interview With Betty Sheinbaum

Reclining Woman and Greek Statues
oil on canvas 40 x 30"
Betty Sheinbaum

Betty Sheinbaum's rich variety of images reflect her 40 plus years of dedication and passion to life and art.


Your work is bursting with color and motion, are you working with large brushes? How do you choose your palette?

I work with small and medium brushes. Color reflects emotions – since most of my paintings have happy subjects, I use bright cheerful colors and color combinations.

Describe your process if you will, do you do drawings first, or go directly to paint?

I take many photographs and I use them mostly as my “inspiration.” I also love working from a model. I do lots of drawings before starting a painting.

How do you choose your subjects – is your own life reflected in your work?

I hope my life is reflected in my work. However, I am very tuned into our political and economic climate and find them inexplicable and depressing. I turn toward happier moments in one’s life out of self-defense!

Tell me about your figurative work – many of the poses do not include faces, or heads. Are you preserving the privacy of the model, or are you making a statement?

I wasn’t conscious that I wasn’t using faces in my smaller paintings, but I do love portraits, particularly in the larger paintings. I like working with different media and particularly mixed media paintings.


Waiting
mixed media, newspaper on canvas 24 x 30"Betty Sheinbaum

You’ve been painting for much of your life, how have you managed to carve out time for artmaking? Has it ever interfered with your “normal” life, or vice versa?

I became an artist during my time as a young wife and mother. I had studied art and
loved using my hands to express myself. I had some encouragement from my art teachers and while bringing up 4 children, I found I could work at home on projects.

After the children grew up, I took several art classes at UCLA extension and became
more and more involved both with painting and sculpting. I loved sculpture and spent 10 years as a welder working on taking cars apart and making abstract people and animals. This was physically taxing and at age 60 I had to give it up and go back to painting. I love color, which is such a great element of painting, but I like 3 dimensions better in sculpture.

What do you like about painting? About being an artist?

Being an artist satisfies my need to do something alone. I love people and their activities and relationships. I love using color. I’m intrigued by shapes and compositions which are always an interesting challenge. There is so much to learn about myself and others. Painting is a method of looking for better understanding. However, there is always so much more to learn and to try. I never feel that I achieve enough. I will never feel as though I have reached a goal (one that I have set for myself). This is both discouraging and exciting. The end result of a painting is for me, and I am the one I care most about pleasing. As a painter, I can live in an amazing, beautiful, intriguing world – one in which I am constantly learning something new.

Betty Sheinbaum's retrospective exhibition at TAG Gallery begins Sunday, January 23, 2011.


Betty Sheinbaum

Darlyn Susan Yee, Carol Kleinman, and Betty Sheinbaum: June 22- July 17, 2010

TAG Gallery Announces

New Exhibit Featuring Works By
Darlyn Susan Yee, Carol Kleinman, and Betty Sheinbaum

June 22- July 17, 2010

Reception: Saturday, June 26, 5-8 PM

Artist Talk: Saturday, July 10 at 3 PM


Contained!, Darlyn Susan Yee

Although Darlyn Susan Yee has been creating containers in various media since childhood, for the last twelve years she's been stimulated by the textures that the knotting process yields. Through her study of the human form and character, Darlyn realized that we judge others by their appearances and attire, or their own personal containers. Fascinated by its simplicity and raw beauty, Darlyn has chosen cotton fiber for this series. Employing the basic knots - Lark's Head, Overhand Knot, Half Hitch, Clove Hitch and Reef Knot - she has created non-functional objects of art to be enjoyed and passed to future generations. Darlyn has hand-built each piece knot by knot, just as one would shape or form a clay object. Utilizing the knot structures and fiber properties, she has encouraged the final shape of each unique sculpture.


Paris Reflections, Carol Kleinman

Carol Kleinman is known for her unique ability to capture and highlight the "mystery in the mundane" through her bold, unmanipulated single digital exposures printed on canvas. In her latest exhibit, Kleinman's creative use of window reflections that capture images from inside and outside at the same time, allows her to depict the complexities of Paris life while simultaneously drawing out universal human themes. Whether or not one has ever traveled to Paris, Carol's work provides a gateway to get lost in the moment and discover the multiple realities that present themselves to us, but so often get overlooked as we rush through life. These reflections provide an emotional glimpse into the life, the charm, and the soul of one of the most beautiful cities in the world.


People, Betty Sheinbaum

Betty Sheinbaum is neither a struggling newcomer nor a jaded veteran. Coming to art seriously in the 1950s, long before feminism carved the freedom for women to select and juggle roles, Betty has led a full, complex life packed with "other concerns." Nonetheless, she is a true artist. Betty's latest series, People, goes beyond mere portraits and explores her subjects on a deeper level. She captures them mid-activity in order to translate onto the canvas how the participants are pouring out their hearts and souls. For the last 40-odd years, Betty Sheinbaum has worked in painting, sculpture and weaving.