OC Art Blog

This Week In The OC

It is another eventful week! This week we have a lot of art openings in colleges and universities; Irvine Valley College (IVC), University of California, Irvine (UCI), California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), and Chapman University. Check out this calendar for more events!

 

Don't forget Art Walk in Santa Ana is this Saturday!

 

Thursday, February 3rd:

Irvine Valley College (IVC) Art Gallery Presents: Digital World

On view: February 3rd - March 3rd

Location: IVC Art Gallery, B112
5500 Irvine center Dr.,
Irvine, CA 92618 

Gallery hours: Tuesday - Friday @1-6PM

Opening reception: Thursday, February 3

 

Thursday, February 3rd:

Chico MacMurtrie

UCI Beall Center for Art + Technology

On view:  February 3rd – May 7th

Opening Reception: Thursday, 2/3/11, 6pm – 9pm (BC)

 

BOXED:  Thursday, 3/10/11, 6pm – 9pm (inside/outside BC and amphitheater area)
Family Day:  Saturday, 4/16/11, 11am – 3pm (inside/outside BC and amphitheater area)
Organized by David Familian, Artistic Director

 

Friday, Febrary 4th:

Brush Strokes 2011: Traditional and Contemporary Calligraphy with Seal Carving

Featuring: Masters Tae Sun Hwang and Dr. Young Hoon Kim

On view: February 4-March 27 

The Muckenthaler Cultural Center, Fullerton
1201 West Malvern Ave., Fullerton, CA. 92833
Wednesday-Sunday 12:00-4:00 + Thursday 5:00-9:00

Opening Reception: February 4, 5:00-7:00 pm

$5.00 suggested donation

 

Friday, February 4th:

AP Artist Steven Daily presents a plethora of contemporary artists’ re- imaginings and mind-edits of your FAVORITE ’80′s cartoons. ‘Gag Me With A Toon 3’ February 4th, 2011 7pm @Melt Gallery inside Meltdown Comics

 

Friday, February 4th:

Steve Schmidt's solo show

Location: Music Art Wine Love (MAWL)

Time: 6-9pm

Address:12752 Valley View St. Suites H, J, K., Garden Grove, CA

 

Friday, February 4th:

I Left My Heart In Detroit

The Hibbleton Gallery

Featuring an all-Detroit lineup of artists: Niagara Detroit, William Zdan, Matt Gordon and SLAW.

Opening reception is Friday, February 4, 2011 from 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm during the Downtown Fullerton Art Walk, and is FREE.

 

Saturday, February 5th:

CSULB presents: GOLDMINE

GOLDMINE
Contemporary Works from the Collection of 
Sirje and Michael Gold
On view: February 5 - April 10, 2011

Opening reception Feb 5, 6-8 PM
UAM@noon Feb 15, 12:15-1 PM, Gallery talk with Gold's
Cal State Long Beach 

Address: UNIVERSITY ART MUSEUM
College of the Arts 
California State University, Long Beach
1250 Bellflower Boulevard
Long Beach, CA 90840-0004

 

Saturday, February 5th:

Suggestivism

Grand Central Art Center(GCAC), Santa Ana

On view: February 05 - April 17, 2011

GCAC
125 N. Broadway 
Santa Ana, CA 92701
General Phone: 714.567.7233 

Gallery hours: Tue-Thu,Sun 11am-4pm; Fri-Sat 11am-7pm

Opening reception: Saturday, February 5th @7-10pm
2nd reception: Saturday, March 5th @7-10pm
Closing reception: Saturday, April 2rd @7-10pm

 

Saturday, February 6th:

Santa Ana Artwalk - First Saturday

Location:200 N. Spurgeon, Santa Ana, CA 92701

On the four block 2nd Street Promenade between Broadway Avenue and Spurgeon Street in Downtown Santa Ana.

Click here for map.

 

Sunday, February 6th:

Sunday Salon: Activism, Performances, and the Ephemeral

Orange County Museum of Art (OCMA)

Participating artists: Electronic Disturbance Theater/b.a.n.g. lab, Flora Wiegmann, Carlee Fernandez, and David Wilson
 
OCMA
850 San Clemente Drive
Newport Beach, CA 92660

Open Wed,Fri-Sun 11am-5pm; Thu 11am-8pm

------------------------

Although the opening reception is not until February 8th, the gallery is open now:

Breakdown

On view: January 25 - February 24

Curated by Julie Schustack

Chapman University, Guggenheim Gallery, Monday - Friday, 12-5PM

Opening Reception: Tuesday, February 8th, 5:30-8pm. FREE admission.

For information, call 714-997-6729
http://www.chapman.edu/art/calendar.asp

 

Come for the Crabcakes, Stay for the Letter Press

As an undergrad I took many classes that did not count towards my degree; some to pursue personal interests and some were out of confusion as to community college and university requirements.  One such class I erroneously enrolled in was printmaking with The’ Nguyen.  This class was a lower division linocut and woodcut class where I was also taught collagraph, letter press, photo transfer, silkscreen, reductive block printing, and etching into plexi from one man with endless ideas; this was in addition to meeting my current boyfriend, meeting my roommate and being invited into my first art show from this one semiweekly class.  Needless to say while woodblock printing had no impact on my degree, it was pivotal in my life.  I went on to enroll in etching, and have not missed an end of the semester campus print show in six years.

While I cannot claim printmaking with The’ will change your life the way it did mine, I can invite you to meet this man with so much inspiration and so many fans.  Under the guise of a club, current students, former students and creative types meet, eat, and make their kind of art.  As printmaking has become increasingly underrated--there is currently no full-time printmaking faculty at CSUF, and semesters have passed with no classes offered--there will be fewer opportunities to explore this classic art. -Krystal

If you are interested in printmaking all community colleges in Orange County offer at least one class.  Another option, for anyone not looking for a commitment, is dropping by the print studio at CSUF:

Constructions and Excavations in Long Beach

 

 

If you have the chance, I recommend the journey from Orange County to our L.A. County neighbor, Long Beach, for the show Constructions and Excavations featuring the work of Southern California artists Jonathan Anderson and Nathan Huff. Curated by Jeffrey Rau of Sixpack Projects, a  new curating collective.

Anderson's body of work entitled "Constructions" and "Impasse" establishes a consistent conceptual framework that uses the flat surfaces of painting to investigate tensions that exist in our understanding of both image and word.

Huff's series of "Absurd Excavations" fully invites the viewer to enter a new reality where objects and memories are transformed and re-imagined through paint and sculpture. Mining his own personal history and family folklore, Huff begins his work from a very real grounding and then embarks on a wholly original journey.

 

Title: Constructions & Excavations

Artists: Jonathan Anderson and Nathan Huff

Curator: Jeff Rau, Sixpack Projects

Opening Reception: Saturday, January 8th, 2011, 6-9pm

Location: Sixpack Projects at Phantom Galleries Long Beach

Address: 170 N Promenade, Long Beach, CA

Exhibition Dates: January 8th, 2011 - February 12 , 2011

Gallery Hours: Thursday - Saturday, 4-7pm

 

Website:

www.sixpackprojects.com

Facebook.com/SixpackProjects

 

This Week In The OC

Thursday, January 27:

Euan Macdonald: KIMBALL 1901 -

January 27 - March 25, 2011
Opening Reception: January 27, 5:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Nichols Gallery, Pitzer Art Galleries - Pitzer College

Pitzer College
1050 North Mills Avenue · Claremont, CA

Note:

Thursday, February 24, 3:30 p.m.
Nichols Gallery, Broad Center, Pitzer College
Discussion and exhibition walkthrough with artist Euan Macdonald and director/curator Ciara Ennis

More information on the exhibit.

----------

Emerging Artist Series #5: Worker: James Gilbert & Jennifer Vanderpool

January 27 - March 25, 2011
Opening Reception: January 27, 5:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Lenzner Gallery, Pitzer Art Galleries

On opening night, an anthropomorphic sculpture will be created by the artists, Pitzer College students and local participants dressed in repurposed clothes, and material used in the installation symbolically representing the efforts of unseen laborers.

More information on the exhibit.

 

01/29 Saturday:

ANDY WARHOL

//SELECTED PHOTOGRAPHS AND PRINTS FROM THE COLLECTION//

 
Andy Warhol: Martha Graham

January 29 - March 3, 2011
Opening Reception, Saturday, January 29, 5-8 p.m. 
12-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday
12-2 p.m. Saturday
CLOSED Monday, February 21 (Presidents' Day)
Free admission!

 

Begovich Gallery - Cal State Fullerton

Visual Arts Department VA 102
800 North State College Blvd., Fullerton, CA

 

01/29 Saturday:

Saturday, January 29, 2011
LA Urban Rangers' Public Access 101: Downtown LA

Go hiking with LA Urban Rangers.

More info

01/30 Sunday:

Biennial Catalog Launch Event
Sunday, January 30, 2011

1 pm Meet & greet 
12:30–4 pm Rasta Taco 
1–4 pm Special performances 
2 pm Sunday Salon with LA Urban Rangers and Finishing School

Orange County Museum of Art
850 San Clemente Drive
Newport Beach, CA 92660 

Dalek - Psych Optic Black Light Fuzz Part 2

PSYCHOPTICBLACKLIGHTFUZZ PART II @ Hurley's )(  Space Gallery, Costa Mesa

 

When I arrived at Hurley, it was dark and filled with people. I dragged my empty stomach and avoided walking straight into the catering refreshment on the left. I murmured to myself, "Don't stare at the food in the eye. Look away..." I saw many people stood in front of the Dreamachine, a metallic cylinder with laser cut designs placed on a turntable, with their eyes closed. My curiosity got the best of me, so I mimicked after them. Staring at the rotating light in high speed got my head really dizzy, so I closed my eyes and hoped for an alternative experience. With the light invading the darkness in a rhythm, I imagined myself flying in the galaxy, witnessing a group of shooting stars chased away before my eyes.

Next to the Dreamachine was a wall full of neon ropes that looked like it was placed in random directions. I took time to understand the aesthetic of the artwork, with the attitude of “The more you see, the more you find.” And it was true. Stepping close to the artwork made me understand the production and design of the artwork. Dry wall screws and neon colored ropes, zigzagged up and across more dry screws that created a unison pattern.

 

In a separate room behind the black curtain was a dark room with Dalek’s geometric shape murals on the opposite walls. Two mirrors on the other two walls and a set of neon ropes sprung from a center point into the vast space in the ceiling. Live music performance by musical phenomenons King Buzzo, Duane Denison, Steve Turner and Haze XXL.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Did I mention the food was incredible? Yes, I couldn’t resist it after all. The reception was continuously refilled with delicious appetizers and desserts, catered by Bodhi Tree. I was very impress with the refreshment; I shamelessly came back for seconds and thirds. Note the countless photographs of food. Is it so terrible to admit that sometimes openings are simply incomplete without delicious free food? I know you secretly nodded in agreement.

 

In my opinion, the hardest thing for any reporter in an opening reception is that it is very difficult to find the artist. It is hard enough that many Hurley employees were having a hard time describing Dalek for me, but another challenge was navigating through the crowd to find Dalek. May I suggest a goofy hat or a traffic controller vest for all artists in the openings? It will really make life easier for us. Huong, a Hurley employee, was very helpful in my quest for Dalek. Thanks Huong!

Dalek

Among the good looking crowd was a man with a mask, who called himself, Ghetto Vader. He said his mission was to storm into the space and steals the thunder away from the artist. Well, unfortunately, that mission was not accomplished successfully. The crowd continued to come in, and enjoyed the night away with music, art, and food. In my opinion, the event was a success. Thanks Dalek and Hurley for putting this together!

 

 

www.dalekart.com

www.hurley.com

Hurley’s )(SPACE Gallery

1945 Placentia Avenue

Costa Mesa, CA 92627

(949) 548-9375

 

All photo credit: Jennifer Cheng

 

-Jennifer Cheng, Contributing Writer

 

Steal!

I went to a fire sale hosted by illustrator Robert Pokorny and walked away with this “test print” (you say test print, I say artist proof) for $5.00.  Five dollars!

Too bad I only had a webcam to take the photo with.- Krystal

http://www.robertpokorny.com/robertpokorny/Home.html

 

 

Dalek Interview for Hurley's )( Space Gallery

 

Blogger interviews artist pre-opening. . .

the dreamachine!!!!

Hurley's Resident Artist DALEK and the Dreamachines

When I first met artist Dalek I was standing in the main gallery space on the Hurley compound in Costa Mesa, California.  Their VP of Art and Design Scott Patt was filling me in on Hurley's history and extensive community outreach programming, while we waited to meet James Marshall, Mr. Dalek himself. The gallery was dark but alive with neon lines that shot up in rings from a center point in the floor attached to the ceiling, two walls were painted with free form geometrics connected by an occasional glowing hexagonal shape, anchoring the composition. 
The floors were too dark to even distinguish texture, while the two remaining walls were covered in some kind of reflective surface, reminiscent of cloudy circus mirrors.  There were also intriguing metallic cylinders with laser cut designs mounted on turntables. Marshall later explains that they are dreamachines, original brainchild of artists Brion Gysin and William S. Burroughs, and that the team created them right off instructions that can be found on the Internet.  The contraptions are to be lit from within and rotate, projecting light through the holes at a consistent frequency that is supposed to mimic the brain's alpha waves.  The spectator, relating to the piece with eyes closed, should experience surrounding colored light patterns, intended to bring about a hypnagogical state.  Taken as a whole, the surfaces, forms, and colors created a total environment that felt much like being inside of a video game, come to find out that Disney's 80's remake of TRON was a reference for the installation. 

 

 

 

Mr. James Marshall a.k.a. DALEK

 

 

 

 

 

Feeling a little spacey and having a hard time focusing on the conversation when the towering artist enters the scene and says to me, " You like it?" and I quickly responded, "Do you?" For me it’s not about liking an artwork, as I struggle with my own definition of aesthetic beauty.  He notes that he is seeing the space for the first time and that it demonstrates complicity and complete freedom from ownership—the latter stemming from ideas that the conceptual artists of the 1960s brought to the forefront of defining art. After speaking with Dalek about how the installation itself came about, it becomes clear that this space also represents processes seeking to demystify the creative act, acting as juncture for organic and metallic forms, and offering up a clear slice of contemporary trends that illustrate the marriage of art, design, fashion, music, optics and technology- much like initiatives surf culture and clothing giant Hurley is taking.   Employees of the clothing line were culled from various departments to help transform the gallery into a complete environment evoking optical and sensorial based exchanges.

It's interesting to think that in today's contemporary art world, full of collaborations, studio assistants, production teams, and curators, that an artist often has no hand in the production of the physical artwork itself, expanding the idea of the creative act to one of direction, conception and vision.  But what about collaboration, participation, and contribution? Art world jargon becoming more and more common under todays conditions. Perhaps they represent waves of ideas present in and out of the art world.  It was French artist and icon Marcel Duchamp that noted in a seminar on contemporary aesthetics, Houston, Texas 1957, that the artist is not alone.  It is the observer who relates or translates the artwork's qualifications, creating a kind of reciprocal partnership between the artist and observer. 

To root that idea in this millennium we need only to look at recent trends of spirituality based practices such as yoga, Tai chi, meditation, scientific shifts towards quantum & wave theories, in addition to social networks, the ominous virtual 'cloud', avatars and even groupons, where ideas of unification, or a collective, rather than "I" based mentality are at the core. The type of collective collaboration that artist Dalek employs in this exhibition expands on such ideas and knowingly or not alludes to the concept of "all one" in exchange for "alone", as not only the spectator but also communities and industries are integrated into the weave of this art work. 

James Marshall has big plans for the future and views the Hurley exhibition as a success. Plans for taking this collective collaboration into public spaces is already in the works for Dalek & Hurley, intentions to bump things up a notch by bringing in the people that utilize public spaces to the production process is a natural evolution and spurs further dialogue on art's role in today's world. Thanks Dalek for talking to the Blog!

 crew working on entry way of gallery pre-show

 

 

PSYCHOPTICBLACKLIGHTFUZZ PART II @ Hurley's )(  Space Gallery, Costa Mesa

 

 

www.dalekart.com

www.hurley.com

Hurley’s )(SPACE Gallery

1945 Placentia Avenue

Costa Mesa, CA 92627

(949) 548-9375

 

All photo credits go to Joanna Grasso.

 

 

-Joanna Grasso, Contributing Writer

OC based beat artist George Herms at the Redcat

Get your tickets quick or you might miss our very own George Herms and his opera at Disney's REDCAT theater, just across the street from MOCA on Grand Ave.  Hope to see you all there, I'll be going to the Friday night, Feb 4th showing.

Here are the details:

February 3 - February 5

GEORGE HERMS: THE ARTIST’S LIFE

Known as one of the founders of California assemblage and an influential figure of the Beat generation, George Herms premieres a new free-jazz opera that features large-scale sculptural instruments, live and recorded video, and featuring the Bobby Bradford Mo'tet, the Theo Saunders group, and the voice of Diana Briscoll.

For more information and to purchase tickets see : 

http://www.redcat.org/

 

In case you didn't know how hot George Herms is, check out his recent spread in Interview Magazine too! Just click on the link. . .

http://www.interviewmagazine.com/art/george-herms/

 

-Joanna

 

 

Call for Proposal (Attention CSUF and UCI Undergraduate Students)

 

 

CALL FOR PROPOSALS

 

Catalyst, UCI's on-campus undergraduate art gallery, in conjunction with Cal State Fullerton art students, 

is looking for student artwork from both campuses to be displayed February 17 - March 4, 2011. 

We accept works of any medium such as painting, drawing, 

photography, performance, sculpture, installation, etc. Please help us with providing artwork to fill our walls. Simply follow the link and fill out the online form: 

http://www.catalystgallery.org/submit-a-proposal/

 

 

PLEASE SUBMIT BY FEBRUARY 7, 2011

Join the Facebook invite for this opening reception.

Got any questions or comments?
Feel free to comment under the Facebook invite, or email us: info@catalystgallery.org.

Photograph provided by Catalyst

Catalyst is a student-run project space, art gallery, and pedagogic platform devoted to exposing students to the process of making, curating and displaying artwork. Through exhibitions, workshops, peer critiques, lectures, and field-trips, we hope to connect the student population across different disciplines in order to foster critical, artistic, and social growth on a campus often stratified by areas of study. It is by sharing knowledge in text, space, time, and image that thought and practice grow.

This Week In The OC

What's going on this week? Well, it's is definitely an eventful week starting today until the end of the week. Check out these events!!! These events include an OC and Beyond events in The Torrance Art Museum, and LA Art Show in the LA Convention Center. Also, OC Art Blog will have an special interview with artist, Lauren Gallegos! See you at her solo show this Sunday, and stay tuned for the interview. I will be having a lot of fun this weekend checking out these shows. Now, I don't mind sharing the fun with you too. So see you there! -JC

 

Thursday, January 20th:

Third Thursday // Artist Talk - Orange County Museum of Art

2010 California Biennial Artist: Brian Dick

7 pm Curatorial Tours
8 pm Artist talk

Free with museum admission (Adult: $12; Students with ID & Senior 65+: $10)

Join members of OCMA's curatorial and education departments for an insider's look at our galleries and stay late for special talks and video screenings hosted by 2010 California Biennial artists.

Address: Orange County Museum of Art (OCMA)

850 San Clemente Drive, Newport Beach, CA 92660

Biennial artist Brian Dick; photography by ColinYoung-Wolff.com

 

Thursday, January 20th:

LA Art Show - The 16th Annual Los Angeles Art Show

General Show Dates:

Thursday, January 20, 2011, 11am - 8pm
Friday, January 21, 2011, 11am - 8pm
Saturday, January 22, 2011, 11am - 8pm
Sunday, January 23, 2011, 11am - 5pm

The Los Angeles Art Show, the centerpiece of the citywide Los Angeles Arts Month, returns to LA's renowned Convention Center and its revitalized downtown area for 2011.

From Rembrandt to Ruscha and Beyond: Painting, sculpture, works on paper, photography, and video, over 100 prominent galleries from around the globe.  Located in the heart of LA and immediately adjacent to an exciting and diverse arts community, luxury hotels, and world-class restaurants, the Los Angeles Art Show plays host to an international art-buying public, reconfirms the ambitions and commitment of LA's homegrown collectors, and further defines the city of Los Angeles as a global art-hub.

 

Location:

Los Angeles Convention Center
West Hall A, 1201 South Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, CA 90015

 

Website

Friday, January 21st:

Center on the Center - the annual non-juried exhibition

Huntington Beach Art Center

Address: 538 Main Street, Huntington Beach  CA 92648

Opening Reception: Friday, January 21st. @6-9PM

Show runs: January 21st - February 19th

 

Centered on the Center is a group exhibition featuring approximately 250 regional artists in a salon style exhibition, scheduled from January 21 through February 19, 2011.  The opening reception will take place on Friday, January 21 from 6 to 9 p.m.  This annual, open call, non-juried exhibition features approximately 400 works in a variety of media, including, painting, drawing, photography, mixed media, sculpture, and installation. The exhibition and opening are free and open to the public.

 

Saturday, January 22:

What's New, Pussycat?

The Torrance Art Museum

Opening Reception: Saturday, January 22, 6pm- 9pm

On view: January 22 - March 5, 2011

Address: 3320 Civic Center Drive North,
Torrance, CA 90503

What's New, Pussycat? brings together a selection of established California based artists who gained prominence and/or were developing important bodies of work during the 1960's, presenting current works where possible, to highlight their continued practice - alongside ongoing investigations by some emerging artists working today who deal with related concerns.

 

Click here for more info.

 

Saturday, January 22:

Art of Haiti

//A week long festival exhibiting groundbreaking  artwork of Haiti//

Orange County Center for Contemporary Art (OCCCA)

Address: 117 North Sycamore Street, Santa Ana

Opening Night Gala: Saturday, January 22nd. @7pm - 11pm

 

*SILENT ART AUCTION 
Featuring Haitian art as well as local artists  

*HAITIAN FOOD
by world renowned Chef TiGeorge

*PLUS LIVE MUSIC, WINE AND CELEBRITY GUESTS

 

$20 DONATION 
$25 at the door

100% OF PROFITS GO TOWARD DRILLING WELLS IN HAITI!

RSVP Events@viewater.org

with your name and how many in your party

For more info visit www.viewater.org

 

 

Sunday, January 23rd:

Digging for Aesthetics: Lauren Gallegos' Art Show

Titan Student Union at Cal State Fullerton

Address: 800 State College Blvd., Fullerton, CA

Opening Reception: Saturday, January 23rd. @12:30pm - 4:30pm

Got Facebook? Join Lauren Gallegos' Facebook invite to the opening reception!

Want to get to know Lauren Gallegos?

Her website has a great collection of her past artwork.

Check out her blog for most recent update of her artistic practice.

 

A special interview with Lauren Gallegos! Stay tuned.