OC Art Blog

Savage Primitive, by Daniel Porras @ CalState Fullerton, Oct 9 5-8pm

 

Graduate Candidate artist Daniel Porras is exhibiting a large installation of whimsical paintings based on hybrid forms of human and animal decent for the Savage Primitive exhibition this Saturday night, October 9th in the CalState Fullerton West Gallery, reception is 5-8pm.  

 

Go check out Daniel's new paintings, they will draw you in to their own savage world.  The artist will be attending the reception so you can quiz him about the fantastical environments where his characters reside. And did I mention there will be free food too?!!

:0)

 

Congratulations on your show Daniel!!  See you all there.

-Joanna Grasso, Contributing Writer

 

 

 

 

Finishing School @ Orange County Museum of Art (OCMA)

I just got an email from Ed Giardina (that's him just below the cat w/glasses) and Finishing School about their film 54.  It is a participatory film that examines the role of art biennials in the contemporary art market.  Sounds interesting.  They even plan on taking it to the oldest and most established of Biennials (or Biennale as we pasta eating people like to call it) in Venice, Italy.  Yes, of course you are all invited.  If you haven't made it to Italy yet here is the perfect opportunity to get on that plane.  See below for broadcast details.  

They have big plans for this film, and the first of several live broadcasts will take place @ OCMA, CALIFORNIA BIENNIAL October 23 2010, 7pm.  

 Get over there and show them some support, these guys are going to put the OC on the contemporary art-world map.  And this is our opportunity to show the world that we are not all shallow partiers, white republicans, vapid rich kids, nor scary housewives.  We have substance. We have depth. We have great hair. 

See you there!

 

 

Film Info:

For the 2010 California Biennial, Finishing School will begin production of 54, their new participatory film project. The project explores the complex socio-economic, and political landscape of biennials - using the invitation to participate in one biennial as an opportunity to critique the very model through the critical dramatizing of another biennial. It is Finishing School's intention that the final version of 54 be presented as an official artwork in a third biennial. 54 employs relevant biennial histories and narratives, investigates the role of biennial audience as participants, and speculates about the impact biennials have on culture.

The film blends narrative, cinema vèrité, and improvised experimental cinematic styles. Intervention, homage, appropriation, and collaboration are important tactics in the making of the film. Described by FS as "absurdly complex" 54 is a multi-faceted project without traditional boundaries between the process of making the film, the completed film, and the interactive installation where it will be presented as a completed project. 54 is Finishing School's most ambitious project to date, both conceptually, and geographically.

Visitors to the CA Biennial are encouraged to participate in scenes filmed at the museum and surrounding locations scheduled during the course of the exhibition. Additionally, visitors are invited to meet them in Italy where they will be also be filming in and around the Venice Biennale in June 2011.

 

Live Broadcast

October 23 at 7pm

2010 California Biennial

Orange County Museum of Art

 

Finishing School will be traveling to Venice, Italy to shoot scenes for their participatory film project, 54, from June 1 – 8, 2011.

They would like to invite you to join them in Italy to participate in the project. Finishing School has contracted the services of Go Ahead Tours to facilitate the trip.

Visit the project tour page on Go Ahead Tours website to view the itinerary, tour details, dates and prices, accommodations, and registration information.

 

Go Ahead Tours page:
http://finishingschool.grouptoursite.com

Go Ahead Tours contact:
Angus Beaton
Angus.Beaton@goaheadtours.com
TEL. (800) 438-7672
Group No. 61709857

 

Visitors to the CA Biennial are encouraged to participate in scenes filmed at the museum and surrounding locations scheduled during the course of the exhibition. Additionally, visitors are invited to meet Finishing School in Italy, where we will also be filming in and around the Venice Biennale in June 2011.

Production Schedule- revised 10-16-2010

 

10/23/10 – Orange County Museum of Art, 8 – 10pm

10/24/10 – Orange County Museum of Art, 2 – 4pm

10/28/10 – Orange County Museum of Art, 8 – 10pm

11/10 – Orange County Museum of Art

12/10 – Orange County Museum of Art

1/11 – Orange County Museum of Art

2/11 – Orange County Museum of Art

3/11 – Orange County Museum of Art

6/1/11 - Venice, Italy
6/2/11 - Venice, Italy
6/3/11 - Venice, Italy
6/4/11 - Venice, Italy
6/5/11 - Venice, Italy
6/6/11 - Venice, Italy
6/7/11 - Venice, Italy
6/8/11 - Venice, Italy
6/9/11 - Venice, Italy
6/10/11 - Venice, Italy

More dates and details will be added.

 

-Joanna Grasso, Contributing Writer

Orange County Museum of Art (OCMA) - California Biennial

 

Put this one in your calendars, you won't want to miss this huge survey of California's rock-star contemporary artists.  That's right, it's time for OCMA'S  California Biennial.  This year promises to be like none other.  Their savvy curator Sarah Bancroft has searched long and hard for California's finest. Here is some info on the show:

 

2010 CALIFORNIA BIENNIAL

 October 24, 2010-March 13, 2011  

 

The Orange County Museum of Art proudly announces the upcoming 2010 California Biennial. The Biennial exhibitions are a cornerstone of OCMA's program and highly anticipated by art enthusiasts and the art world alike. The Biennial exhibition continues OCMA's four-decade history of presenting new developments in contemporary art and identifying new talent on the verge of national and international recognition. 

 

2010 California Biennial Artists:

David Adey, Agitprop, Gil Blank, Nate Boyce, Luke Butler, Juan Capistran, Zoe Crosher, Brian Dick, Dru Donovan, Mari Eastman, Electronic Disturbance Theater/b.a.n.g. lab, Carlee Fernandez, Finishing School, Eve Fowler, Rebecca Goldfarb, Katy Grannan, Alexandra Grant, Sherin Guirguis, Drew Heitzler, Violet Hopkins, Alex Israel, Glenna Jennings, Barry MacGregor Johnston, Vishal Jugdeo, Stanya Kahn, Andy Kolar, Jennifer Locke, Los Angeles Urban Rangers, Tom Mueske, Tucker Nichols, Camilo Ontiveros, Nikki Pressley, Andy Ralph, Will Rogan, Paul Schiek, Taravat Talepasand, Wu Tsang, Zlatan Vukosavljevic, Nina Waisman, Flora Wiegmann, Allison Wiese, Lisa Williamson, David Wilson, Patrick Wilson, and John Zurier. 

Exhibition Information

The only exhibition of its kind in California, the California Biennial brings together a large cross-section of the State’s most innovative contemporary visual artists. The Biennial continues the Orange County Museum of Art’s four-decade long history of presenting new developments in California art. In 2008, the museum presented works by more than 50 artists and, for the first time, incorporated off-site projects with collaborating venues from Tijuana to Northern California. 

The 2010 California Biennial promises to be similarly full of artists, energy, accomplishments, and surprises. A fully-illustrated catalogue published by the Orange County Museum of Art will accompany this exhibition. 


2010 California Biennial is organized by the Orange County Museum of Art and curated by Sarah Bancroft. The 2010 California Biennial is sponsored by Deutsche Bank. Major support for the California Biennial catalogue is provided by the Segerstrom Foundation. Additional exhibition support is provided by Barbara and Victor L. Klein, Toby Devan Lewis, and the Nimoy Foundation. Media support is provided by The Armory Show, KPCC FM 89.3, and OC Weekly.

 

Orange County Museum of Art
850 San Clemente Drive
Newport Beach, CA 92660
Main Museum: (949) 759-1122
Email: info@ocma.net

 

 

Joanna Grasso, Contributing Writer

Daredevil Dancers @ the Orange County Performing Art Center

Looking for something to do tonight in the OC?

FREEEEEE PERFORMANCE!!!

 

There is one night left, so grab your camping gear (you'll need a comfy chair for the two hour show), some friends, and get on over to the Orange County Performing Art Center for the last evening of the Project Bandaloop's awesome wall dancing!  The group performs free for the public on the exterior wall of the Segerstrom Hall, right in front of the Richard Serra monolithic steel sculpture. You'd better get there early because the grounds fill-up fast.

 

 

Show starts at 8:30pm, and you can stop off at Pizzeria Ortica for an authentic 'pizza margharita' and some good tuscan wine afterward to round out the evening.

Check out last night's pics.

 

 

There were several acts, projections to accompany the performers, and live musicians.

 

 

Check out the trumpet player on the right.  

 

 

 

 All photos by Joanna Grasso

 

 

Really amazing stuff.  They looked as if they were floating.

We had a great time, I recommend you check out tonight's performance.  

Orange County Performing Art Center

600 Town Center Drive
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 556-2787

-Joanna Grasso, Contributing Writer

UCI Opening Reception - UAG Gallery presents Andrea Geyer

Andrea Geyer's opening reception at the UAG Gallery, UCIrvine. (photo by: Joanna Grasso)

 

Last night I had an adventure, with camera and compass in hand I made my way over to Irvine for the opening reception of the University of California, Irvine (UCI)  UAG Gallery solo exhibition entitled Criminal Case 40/61: Reverb by artist Andrea Geyer.

Geyer's six channel video projection revisits, unpacks, and investigates the crimes against humanity trial of Adolf Eichmann's, Israeli Supreme Court (1950).

For those of you history buffs out there here is a list of Eichmann's (aka "architect of the Holocaust") 
charges, to give you an idea of the significance and severity of the trial. 

 *** NOTE: list of charges taken from the Holocaust Education & Archive Research Team website and further information can be found there.

 

Eichmann was charged with 15 counts under Israeli law seeking to punish Nazis and their cohorts:

Charge 1: He was ultimately responsible for the murder of millions of Jews.

Charge 2: He placed these Jews, before they were murdered, in living conditions designed to kill them.

Charge 3: He caused them grave physical and mental harm.

Charge 4: He took actions which resulted in the sterilization of Jews and otherwise prevented childbirth.

Charge 5: He caused the enslavement, starvation, and deportation of millions of Jews.

Charge 6: He caused general persecution of Jews based on national, racial, religious and political grounds.

Charge 7: He spoiled Jewish property by inhuman measures involving compulsion, robbery, terrorism and violence.

Charge 8: That all of the above were punishable war crimes.

Charge 9: He deported a half-million Poles.

Charge 10: He deported 14,000 Slovenes.

Charge 11: He deported tens of thousands of gypsies.

Charge 12: He deported and murdered 100 Czech children from the village of Lidice.

 

Now that you have some history, here is what it translated as by the talented and discriminating hands of New York based artist Andrea Geyer.

 

The exhibition is superbly installed and the work is poignant.  The six channel video installation, Criminal Case 40/61 (seen above),  requires the observer to enter into a central space where escape from the issues at hand is nearly impossible.  Sound and visuals swirl around you as Geyer uses direct pointing and irony to spotlight not only questions of memory and historic referents, but also the absurdity of judicial systems and their theatricality.  I am reminded of Kafka's novel Trial and the parallels between his own writings and the state of what remains of his estate today.  Check out the New York Times gripping article on this ongoing battle from Sept 22nd entitled Kafka's Last Trial.. . .

Go see the show, it's the best thing I've seen in Irvine in ages.  Oh, and don't forget your GPS. Irvine is a mysterious place, my advice is bring along snacks, a flare gun, and a compass (or snazzy new phone) and everything will work out just fine.

-Joanna Grasso, Contributing Writer