OC Art Blog

William Wendt @ LAM

Christopher Knight reviews the William Wendt show currently at LAM. The show is worth seeing just to be reminded how beautiful Orange County use to be before all the asphalt and Applebee's...

Attn Artists! Diana Markessinis @ Yoga Works Costa Mesa

In these uncertain times when galleries are closing left and right and it's getting harder and harder to show, especially in Orange County. It's going to be up to the artists to get creative about showing their work. Below is a perfect example, Diana Markessinis turned a yoga studio into a gallery for a night with positive results.
Diana Markessinis @ Yoga Works from Dharma Bum on Vimeo.

OC Link Dump

Gustavo Arellano on the shut down of FOB II by Santa Ana city officials

Dave Barton reviews Charming Decay at Hibbleton Gallery

Layoffs begin at OC Arts organizations

Change is coming to Santa Ana's Rude Guerilla Theatre

A certain OC "Arts" writer thinks I'm talking out my ass...

One Year Party @ The Box - Tomorrow Night

 

via ffffound

Mat Gleason Art Advice - Juried Shows, Rental Gallery, Artist Membership Groups

Art Opening Don'ts - First In A Series

State Of Art Criticism in OC..

"A truer story would have focused on the fact that none of the three culture critics—let go from the {Times} in the last year or so was passionately engaged in the cultural dialogue of the city and the nation."

"the truth is that {the critic} is known by the majority of artists, dealers, and curators in the city as the critic who never showed up."

"Art has been persevering in {Seattle} without the help of its largest daily paper for quite some time now."

Replace the Seattle Times with the Orange County Register and the named critic with our local visual arts critic and this article by Jen Graves at The Stranger pretty much sums up the state of affairs in Orange County. We should ask for permission to reprint when the OC Register finally does away with its cultural criticism...

Via Culture Monster

Artist Interview - David Michael Lee

It's been a little while since we did an Artist Interview. So to kick off the first interview of 2009 I asked David Michael Lee, who will be appearing in the exhibition Invasion at @Space Contemporary this Saturday night, if he would answer a few questions for our readers. Here ya go:

Tell us about your work?

The work is about observations, still or active, it does not matter. The observation deck from which I paint varies, high in the sky, real high in the sky or from a point much more terrestrial. The work has always been about looking, perceiving and interpreting people.  The paintings can be abstract and colorful, simple and to the point, or drawn-out with an obtuse, shoestring, narrative. I look at our history and foresee the future, while keeping it fun and interesting.

 

What Artists have influenced you and how?

There is a handful of art and artists out there that have influenced me, but before that, the people that have inspired me:

• People who jumped off cliffs with oversized bird wings in the name of aviation

• Scientists like Richard Feynman who were able to balance two great worlds

Hans Hoffmann, great color

Sigmar Polke, I enjoy the narratives

Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, the exploration of new and mixed media

Van Gogh, Gauguin, Southern France will never be the same

Big oversized paintings with lots of color

 

What motivates you to make work and stay focused in the studio?

I think about working everyday, especially when I see something that I like, and that can be almost anything. The more places I go and the wider range of things I see, all have a profound influence on me. I like stories and the people that tell them. I am motivated by conversations and my thoughts provoked by them, actions from our past and the potential of our future, and more importantly an interest in making things that will last longer than me and can be in more that one place at a time.

 

Give us your thoughts about the benefits and challenges of being an artist in Orange County?

Orange County offers an unique opportunity for artists. The benefits, I would say that we have a strong, diverse, well educated, network here and we are all supportive of each other. The challenges are convincing people outside of the county that the above is true.

 

What Projects/Shows are up next for you?

This Saturday (Jan 10^th), I have an exhibition up at @space Contemporary.

Over the next couple of months I am working on the Orange County Art Grant, big prize this year $2500. Get those submissions in soon. (Feb. 9^th)

In the future I hope to have an opportunity to exhibit a project I have been thinking about as of late. It involves Chinese Opera, Walt Disney, the Worlds Fair, foreign currency, the history of flags, Asian Dragons, power, abuse, color theory and greed, all set to percussions, a loose narrative and chorography. I hope to produce drawings, prints, paintings, doll clothing, costumes, music and a book.

 

 

 

Arts Orange County - Redux

It seems that ever since Rick Stein has taking over leadership duties of Arts Orange County his first order of business has been to raise the profile of Arts OC to the general art fan. Did anybody other then the 10 people that financed the Performing Arts Center know what Arts Orange County's mission was 12 months ago?? I didn't. Anyway, there's a new happenings website SparkOC and they want your input on a new survey and there's even a new promotional video below that uses a lot of biz speak but still doesn't tell us exactly what they do. Hopefully Mr. Stein will continue to breath a little life into Arts Orange County, especially at this most important time.