Pam Douglas, Julienne Johnson, Camey McGIlvray July 17 - August 11, 2012

Opening Reception: Saturday, July 21, 2012,5-8 p.m.
Conversation with the Artists: Wednesday, July 25, 2012, 7-8 p.m. Moderated by Ezrha Jean Black - Staff Writer Artillery Magazine


Pam Douglas The Life of Fire
In her latest exhibition, artist Pam Douglas celebrates the creative force that explodes from earth’s most destructive element. The Life of Fire is the second of three in an elemental energy series engaging with water, fire, and wind. These fire images reach beyond the surface using experimental textures ranging from 3-dimensional layers of canvas to thin plastics and transparencies. According to Douglas, by working with the spirit of transformation, painting fire led to transforming the painting mediums themselves. These elemental energies thus express a sense of wonder, creating a veil between seen and unseen.

Julienne Johnson T O U C H M E T O U C H Y O U 
Julienne Johnson’s latest body of work, T O U C H M E T O U C H Y O U, embodies the spirit of her previous Ashes For Beauty series, in which memory, texture, and fleeting connections to the world around us inform our very place within it. T O U C H M E T O U C H Y O U, was further inspired by Johnson's recent journey to Doha, Qatar, where her work was presented along with thirteen international artists. Johnson’s personal experience with Middle Eastern culture and the unsettling emotions she encountered while in Doha, has found it's way into the work: we see a mix of various materials, pigment transfers and collage shaping itself into memories of words and presences. Communication - the first step toward empathy - is at the heart of Johnson’s work. In a world where casual interactions are conducted more and more through the curtain of anonymity afforded by technology, T O U C H M E T O U C H Y O U embodies a yearning for a fuller understanding of those we encounter, though often only briefly, in transit. These paintings are the instruments of Johnson's reaching out. Added to, reduced, and ultimately refined, they are about what we try to remember; those brief moments of genuine affinity to another we cannot easily forget.

Camey McGilvray Upheaval
Camey McGilvray’s new show, Upheaval, pays tribute to the avant-garde artists of the early 20th century who have had an enormous impact on modern art and who have informed her own work as well. McGilvray uses bright colors, flat planes and abstract shapes to create wood and metal sculptures that echo the spirit of artists of this period, such as Pablo Picasso and Marcel Duchamp. By creating three-dimensional mixed media works, McGilvray adapts modernist fragmentation one step further, crossing the divide between the artwork and the viewer. This unification of space brings McGilvray’s art into our own reality and explores the dynamic relationship between art and life for which these early 20th century artists paved the way.

TAG Gallery Interviews Julienne Johnson

Julienne Johnson

Ozymandias (detail) 2012 

oil with mixed media, pigment transfers and collage on canvas

Why is scale important to you as an artist?

 Size (scale) is synonymous with the message. It’s quite simple actually: what I have to say is too big for a small canvas, along with a few other factors. From the point that I remove canvases From my rack, some inner discussion (without words) seems to begin taking place. As I start the gesso application, the discussion by then is shaping itself into some sort of concrete format. It can only do this because my composition starts with the gesso. Throughout the process of painting (each canvas) I try to remain flexible, and if it wants to be a different size, I am not opposed to cutting it to the size it favors. The work leads. Like a poem. A joyful experience. There are no rules in my studio. Building, destroying and rebuilding is my process. I do this on every level.

 My supply of varying size canvasses are ready in my rack so that I can work intuitively, without thinking about size. The story line comes first - not the size of the canvas. It is not a mental choice. Those other factors include being physically active, even aerobic throughout the life of each work. Just as I am in my own life. Working with my hands onto the canvas creates intimacy and I need room to do that to the full. Like being on a King size bed. If you know me, you know that I am full of energy: High energy. I do almost 4 miles a day outside and a weight workout 3 times a week. Although the health benefits of working out are great, anyone that knows me well knows that I’d be jumping out of windows - flying, if I didn't. That’s the energy that I bring (through my hands) to the canvas. It's just too much on most days, for a small canvas. Most importantly though, it's about the story lines: they are big and full of drama. Every canvas I paint has a life and it needs room to breathe.

What is it like getting ready for an exhibition, are any special considerations required to exhibit your work? 

Yes! I’m concerned with the height of the ceilings, the linear feet of wall space and of course, lighting. My work needs breathing space. It’s intense. I'll always be proactive in the lighting of my shows; Lighting to an artist is as sound to a singer. How can I not be involved?


 What experience would you like the viewer to have viewing your work? 

 Response! It Will never is about whether they like a painting or want to purchase it. That’s for my agent and/or the Gallery director to concern themselves with. I’d like the painting to be a conversation opener: dialogue between them and me. I’ve started the conversation, and then it's their turn to talk.


In what ways has your recent trip to Doha, Qatar impacted your work? 

 It's as though everything in the TOUCHMETOUCHYOU show is covered with dust. There’s heaviness about the work. The hues all have a sort Of muted, dusty blend; Ê no matter how I've attempted to make adjustments, somehow those dusty shades kept finding their way back to the mix. My experience was similar when I painted "Trust" in 2010. The 14' x 5' triptych is mostly red. Although it's a dozen of shades of red - it's still red. Very intense. It was so uncomfortable that every day when I came to the Studio, my priority was to set about getting rid of that red. Although I would, before the day was over - it was there - again. Finally, I let it be. Having just buried my mom and five months earlier, my dad - Trust" really longed to be red. Something like that is going on with the TOUCHMETOUCHYOU works as well; they want to be dusty and muted. After struggling over the months, I’ve finally given in. So while I talk about letting the work lead, perhaps you've noticed that I'm not exactly a pushover. Still, I'd like to know what's going on with the dusty look. Doha's a dessert. A city (with absolutely stunning architecture) only partially constructed; so there's a great deal of dust flying around. The culture itself has further impacted my work, because it has impacted me. There’s a lot of veiling on this work - more than ever before. I will not be the same since my trip to Doha. I will not forget! This is the most edgy work that I've exhibited to date.

 Where do you see your journey as an artist going from here?

 I want to continue walking with my eyes open wide. I want to continue allowing my world to filter through me into the work without monitoring. I have a strong need for seeing everything and putting it down. A strong need to leave something. If you read the 2011 interview, you know that I used to put little messages in bottles and bury them or try to sink them in the Thunder Bay River. I will continue doing that.

Julienne Johnson's exhibition begins July 17, 2012.

Water, Nature, Hope Pam Douglas, Julienne Johnson, Joan Ransohoff: Painting to Save the World June 21, 2011 - July 16, 2011

Reception: Sat., June 25, 5-9 pm
Artist Panel: Wed., June 29, 7-8 pm
Water Charity Event: Sat., July 9, 6-8 pm
Book Signing: Sun., July 10, 12-4pm

The Life of Water
Pam Douglas

Pam Douglas, a painter, award-winning screenwriter, and professor at the USC School of Cinematic Arts harnesses the energy of water through her new series, The Life of Water.


Her paintings evoke both the generative and destructive power of water though the interplay of bold colors and abstracted images of waves, waterfalls, splashes, storms, sailboats braving the wild seas, and rivers breaking through dry land. Painted on raw linen, the pieces allow the natural texture of the material to react in unexpected ways with paint and ink. Other works are on wood, creating tension between the tough surface with fluid media. The juxtaposition of the materials, colors and images reflect our equally tense relationship with water as both a beloved source of a hope and renewal a fearsome begetter of tragedy and destruction.

Ashes for Beauty: Scene II
Julienne Johnson

Embracing the perennial ideal of HOPE, Julienne Johnson embraces abstraction, the vocabulary of pure color and the energy of paint to tackle global crises. She views the artistic process as the way to work through fundamental human issues and arrive at open ended, cathartic resolutions. A Grammy-nominated songwriter, Johnson brings that same diligence to her renewed passion for painting. Working from the perspective of action-painting, she blurs the lines between painting, sculpture and assemblage. Her up-to-thirty layers of paint, glazes and hand-mixed pigments obscure hidden photographic images and prints. Ashes for Beauty: Scene II is the second in a series of works that explore the process of transformation. Like the Phoenix, the mythical bird that rises from the ashes, this series theatrically symbolizes the potential for hope that arises out of chaos. It celebrates the energy of life, art and transformation.

On Location...
Joan Ransohoff

Captivated by the colorful beaches and mountains of her outdoor surroundings, Joan Ransohoff heads outdoors to paint the beauty of California in her series On Location.... An Illinois native, she captures the unique playfulness and serenity of her landscape with a keen eye for its ever-changing light, heat, wind, and wildlife. Her paintings are a journey for the senses, a tranquil and luminous place encapsulating the beauty of the natural world. Whether painting spontaneously en plein air or controlling light and composition within her studio, Ransohoff’s technique and subject matter present a refreshing, vibrant look at the natural world.

Interview With Julienne Johnson

Julienne Johnson

untitled # 9 / cropped - mixed media oil painting

48" x 60" 2011

What do you like most about being an artist?


”Enough - if something from our hands has power to live and act, and serve the future hour”. Wordsworth said it all.



Arrogant as it may sound, I love knowing that I am leaving a legacy of having been here. Even as child I was completely fascinated with leaving things behind, like notes in buried bottles. I planted a lot of little trees too as I lived on 80 acres of forest. Thinking I would not live to be even 30 - I was a busy child with all the burying and planting. Although I believe that what really matters are the loving intangibles we leave with people whose lives we touch - some part of me (big enough to be embarrassing) still likes the idea that somebody, someday, just may see a likeness of themselves and know who I was, through a legacy of work I’m leaving behind - especially my dear son.


Is it easy to carve out time in your schedule to work?

No!  Nor have I ever made a commitment to anything that was easy to schedule.  That wouldn’t be fun.  In fact, nothing that ever came easy has ever been the least bit intriguing or challenging to me.  It’s the sacrifice that makes it so pricelessly valuable.

Are your friends and family supportive of your art making?

My husband is completely in support of my art making efforts.  I couldn’t accomplish any of what I am doing without his sacrifice and presence in my life.  My friends and what’s left of my family?   I gave up concerning myself with what they thought - a very long time ago.  Still, I know there are those who think it’s absolutely magical, but I do not wait for that.

How do you decide on your palette?

 In terms of the work I exhibit at TAG  - I don’t!   A pallet is never on my mind, although it was when I worked representationally.  While I most often begin with color, that doesn’t necessarily mean paint.   Color is a reflection of mood or undertone rather than choice; not something I concern myself with; I just follow.   I run between shapes and color and it is hard to decipher which comes first.  It has been said that I paint like a sculptor.

Can you describe your process?


It takes an enormous amount of energy.  I work with my hands (no brushes - lots of gloves) putting on, taking off, scraping, sanding, sawing, soldering and pounding.   The paintings, freestanding assemblage and metal works are all the same to me.   It’s all visceral.  I travel from application to demolition.  I cry, I laugh and I pray throughout.  Like my poetry, one word leads to another.   Months or sometimes years later I am able to comprehend what the work was about.   The viscera travel miles ahead of the brain

From idea to completion what are the steps that you take to produce your work?

I am not beginning with an idea, nor do I begin with thinking.  Although I have been there and have done that - it was only to please others.  When I worked from that approach, neither the art making nor the end result were satisfying.    Not that it wasn’t good: just that it could never convey what I had to say about anything, except on a superficial level.  I am not interested in working from that perspective.   The steps I take (daily or weekly) to produce my art works, are this: I enjoy my husband, I read, go to museums, listen to music, bake cookies, worship, make love, do my 4 miles, cook for my friends, work out at the gym, and eat a whole lot of pop corn.   

What artists, either historical or contemporary, are influential to you?


Van Gogh, Cezanne, Turner, Braque, Gorky, Rauschenberg, Hess, Twombly, Basquiat and Franklyn Liegel - among others.  When I read artist interviews, the artists I think most like in terms of attitude toward art making (according to their conversations) is De Kooning and Kline.    I like David Smith; Giacometti as well, and was relieved to discover in his numerous drawings that he too never bothered with heads and faces.  Like Tennyson said, “I am a part of all that I have met”.  I know that I owe much to other artists.

How do you know when a work is finished?

In the same way I know when I'm finished making love.

Julienne Johnson's exhibition opens June 21, 2011.

New Exhibition Featuring Julienne Johnson, Sue Keane, Pat Doede Klowden, and Ellen Starr

Reception:
Saturday, September 11, 5- 8 PM

Artists' Q & A Panel:
Tuesday, September 14, 7 PM

Julienne Johnson, "Ashes For Beauty"

For her first Solo Exhibition Julienne Johnson presents a powerfully poetic body of work in a visceral, yet painterly language all her own. Working an Abstract Non - representational format, Johnson leads us through a complicated, dangerously vulnerable drama on canvas. Acting out each scene with emotionally charged, often hand mixed color pigments and symbolic references - we follow her down a path of angst and honesty as we try to put our own feelings in order.

Sue Keane, "New Ceramics"

After a successful career in architectural design, Sue Keane began working in clay, and one can see her work is still strongly influenced by the geometry of architecture and how forms relate to their surrounding space. Surface textures play an important part in the visual attraction of each piece as does light and shadow and types of glaze used. The fine detail of her work requires close examination of both surface texture and form.

Pat Klowden, "La Famiglia"

In 'La Famiglia', sculpturist Patricia Doede Klowden continues her exploration of the notion of place and identity as it functions in the modern world. Her newest bronze figures represent a transitional shift from the more androgynous communication of humanity seen in her previous series, 'The Bronze Age'. Here, recognizably female figures express the power of cultural origins and physical strength through attenuated form and subtle detailing. Klowden then moves to her most personal exploration of identity yet: her own family. In ceramic, she touches upon the forms and personality of her grandchildren, trading the universal cast of her earlier bronzes for the more personal markings of family.

Ellen Starr, "Return to Nature"

In her latest exhibition, "Return to Nature," Ellen Starr explores the endless possibilities of subject matter presented to us in the natural world. She explains, "I am attracted to complexity, perhaps because I'm an inveterate organizer. I like to find logic in disorder; to see beauty in the intricate; to make confusion understandable. I strive to balance form against form; color against color; and light against dark. My ultimate goal is to achieve a stable whole out of many parts to create a sense of equilibrium and serenity."

TAG Gallery Interview With Julienne Johnson

Trust³
Mixed Media Triptych 60 x 168"Julienne Johnson


Layering, scraping, painting, and sanding are among the processes used by Julienne Johnson to create her abstract paintings.

What is it like being an artist in Los Angeles?

I think it is perhaps like being an artist anywhere. Only it’s more expensive here. While I have been an artist in Michigan, it was not with the same commitment to the work that I have now in Los Angeles.

Whom do you make art for?

I’d like to think that I make art for the world. However, when one works passionately in any area there is definitely something in it for themselves; that something is always beyond the obvious or what you can put in the bank… so much bigger. I make art for myself: to please myself.

Do you work in more than one medium? How do the two influence each other?

When my expression must make more sound it goes from drawing to painting to assemblage. When it must shout even louder, that assemblage becomes sculptural and free standing.

Have you been an artist all of your life, or is art something that you’ve come to recently?

I was first called an artist when I was about nine years old. I had a substitute art teacher in elementary school, Johanna Spargo from Estonia. Everything I made she praised and put in the highest position on the board. She singled me out; called my parents and wanted to mentor me. My father hung up on her. She called several times to no avail. Finally she called and said she would like to do a portrait of me at no charge. She was well known for her pastel portraits of children and they were expensive, at least to a family like mine. So to this free offer my father finally responded. For the next three to four months, every Saturday I went to her house for several hours. I had the most wonderful times. She would draw and sketch me happily in various positions and we would have graham crackers with applesauce on them and tea with milk. She would tell me about Estonia, about the communist labor camps she had escaped from and about how I brought her good luck. When the portrait was finished I begged to take it home with me on the bus; I fell into a mud puddle. Until she died, she stayed in my life. She always insisted that I was an artist, no matter what I was doing. She impacted me greatly with her blue eyes and kind heart.

Why do you make art and what excited you about painting?

I am compelled with all that is in me to make art. If you take away my paints I will draw. Take my pencil and I will carve with a knife. I need nothing special to work with. I will make art. If I have nothing I can still live it. On my bed I will dream it.

Julienne Johnson's exhibit opens September 7, 2010.