Coming Exhibition: Sue Keane, Andrea Rubin Kichaven, Alison Lowe Platt

Tues. September 30 - Sat. October 25, 2014
Opening Reception: Saturday, October 11, 5-8 p.m.

New Works on Paper, Sue Keane

Sue Keane, Vessel I, Monotype, 20 x 15 in

Making a dramatic shift from her previous focus on ceramic media, artist Sue Keane explores abstract two dimensional expression in her current body of work. Working solely with oil-based inks and paper, Keane creates monoprints within a restrictive palette of black and white, occasionally infusing bold orange hues. High contrast images emerge in pieces like “Vessel,” as strong lines thrust upward in compositions that simultaneously suggest motion and strength. Keane is inspired by architectural patterns and forms, using a linear style that she developed first in her clay works and translates seamlessly to paper. The effect is one of fluid grandeur - using the ancient technique of ink printmaking with a contemporary perspective.

Windows of Dreams, Andrea Rubin Kichaven 

Andrea Rubin Kichaven, Spectrum of Light, Acrylic, 24 x 36 in

The exploration of atmosphere, weather, composition and mood are Kichaven’s focus in her upcoming show, Windows of Dreams. Mindful moments captured in a small window of time create a dream-like expression of space and place. The spiritual and physical become the catalyst of her exploration. From a lifelong fascination with the magic of the sky and the elusiveness of clouds, Kichaven’s current work reveals the fleeting moments that have the power to make us stop, look up, and daydream. Kichaven’s work is built on layers of texture, exuberant marks, and color, to crystallize this visual imagery. Modernists Mark Rothko and Josef Albers have inspired Kichaven's use of color. “Her color sensibility and layout are remarkable,” said acclaimed artist Franklyn Liegel. Color is the heart and soul of Kichaven's work. Through the process of application and elimination, Kichaven gradually builds layers of color, creating depth and translucency that give way to recognizable yet abstract landscapes. This experimentation with texture and color reveals ethereal compositions that resonate as spiritual landscapes.

Explorations, Alison Lowe Platt

Alison Lowe Platt, Little Reminders, Mixed Media, 30 x 22 in

In her most recent body of work, Alison Lowe Platt shifts stylistically from her plein-air and oil painting background to focus on animated mixed media compositions. Implementing a vibrant use of color with media that combines photo transfer along with ink, gouache, oil-based inks, and pencil elements, Platt's new work takes on a more intuitive approach. According to Platt, her intent is to achieve organic art pieces. By drawing equally from the influence of family and friends as well as spiritual meditations, each work in "Explorations" unfolds leaving the viewer with narratives of both frivolity and intangibility. “There’s an element of surprise with these [pieces] that is both challenging and exciting," says Platt. "I love the pushing and pulling of colors and learning how to manipulate the viewer's focus." By incorporating an array of provocative and ethereal imagery in her subject matter, Platt’s works take on contemporary and philosophical themes.

Discovery and Renewal March 27 - April 21, 2012 Featuring:Fielden Harper, Sally Jacobs, Sue Keane

Opening Reception: Saturday, March 31, 2012 5-8 PM
Conversation with the Artists: Saturday, April 14, 2012, 2 pm

Fielden Harper, In a New Light
Attracted to the architectural environs underneath the Santa Monica pier, Harper focuses on the repetition of the jetty’s architectural supports and on the expansive ocean rhythmically flooding the area. The contrast of the solid structure with the fluidity of the waves exposes the restless, incessant energy of the surf coiling around massive piers. Harper’s palette of blues, browns, and grays highlights the muted spectrum of light, which reaches the concealed and obscured space. Illusive shadows cast on wet sand and whispering sea spray divulge the secrets of this secluded spot.

Sally Jacobs,Nourishing Art

The vegetables and fruits at Los Angeles’ outdoor farmers’ markets inspire the palate and the palette. In her new show, Nourishing Art, contemporary botanical artist Sally Jacobs depicts the vegetables she loves to paint and cook. The watercolors show us the beauty and vibrancy of what’s fresh from the market – from the “common” carrot or onion, to the more esoteric celery root or watermelon radish. Delectable to eat and view.

Sue Keane, Through the Fire

Sue Keane’s ceramic works reanimate fragments of clay into unified forms. Glazing, firing, and temperature interactions produce an inorganic, nonmetallic solid, as if a phoenix rising from the ashes. As a result, Keane’s generative process extracts a raw and organic life force. Her minimalist and colorful geometries align with the work of Abstract Expressionist George Ohr. By juxtaposing the polarities of black and white, organic and inorganic, hot and cold, we can piece together these elements to behold a singular, renewed form of art.

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."