The OC Art Blog

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.

 

 

 

Artist Interview - Jeff Gillette

Tell us about your work?

 

I have been painting feverishly since before finishing Grad school at CSUF in 1997. Majoring in printmaking (later painting…), I tend to do paintings in series. My longest running body of work would be my “Slumscapes:” paintings of third-world slums. These culminated from travels to countries like India, Bangladesh, Peru, Indonesia, the Philipinnes, Kenya, Brazil, etc. I’ve also created series of deserts (with debris), post-apocalyptic ruins (usually of Disneyland), fallen freeways, cartoon collage/abstractions. I’m presently working on a post-traumatic vision of Las Vegas and have started adding figures into my slumscapes.

 

What Artists have influenced you and how?

My most direct influence from any artist is my wife, Laurie (Hassold). I work at home, and she is constantly available to provide encouragement, conversation and to give critiques, sometimes whether I want them or not! Otherwise, I’m always delving into contemporary art, but am most drawn to representational or conceptual work: everything from Kinkade to Kosuth. Unfortunately, much of what I see in magazines and at galleries and museums is disappointing…

 

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

I have no problem staying busy. What motivates me is a love for painting and creating visuals that disturb and delight. What is most important for me, is to get out of the studio, away from the computer, and to experience real stuff. My biggest influence was being in the Peace Corps in Nepal in the late 80s. There I was thrust into an exotic and intense world and was able to look objectively back at my own culture and make some poignant observations. Maybe that’s why I pick on things so fiercely, like putting Mickey Mouse in a landfill, and stuff like that… I’ve continued traveling around the world extensively (last summer to India and Europe) but also like getting out closer to home. The desert between Victorville and Vegas is amazing to stay in overnight during full moons.

 

 

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

When the Santa Ana art scene was in its infancy, I remember donning a bunny suit, setting up a table with my art on it, and selling stuff outside the Grand Central Art Center (even after being threatened that they were going to call the police on me!) Later, my wife and I would do all kinds of ground-breaking art activities: We would take over empty stores, clean them out, then use them to create and exhibit work in. I was able to enjoy the live-work spaces at the Grand Central downtown for over a year and have had pieces in the Laguna Museum of Art on a number of occasions. My hope for the Orange County art scene, is for it to continue growing and allow for individual artists that don’t have huge resources to participate.

 

What Projects/Shows are up next for you?

I’m in a seven group shows this year, and four solo shows. There’s a “Fashion Island” slumscape at the Juxtapoz show at Laguna Art Museum this summer. I had a very successful show at CoproNason in Santa Monica in the spring and have shown my new series of Desert Interventions downtown LA at Bert Green Fine Art. I’m slated to have an article in “High Fructose” art magazine soon as well as be in their group show at Copro. In the fall 2008 I’ll be in a CSUF alumni painters show, as well as have my first solo show out of state in Las Vegas at the Fallout Gallery.

 

Artist Interview: Sherie' Franssen

It's been a while since the last Artist Interview so we are long over due and I'm happy to be bringing back the series with the best painter (IMHO) based in Orange County, Sherie' Franssen. Without further ado:

Tell us about your work:
Visually the work is always based on the human figure, in some sense. Painting the flesh is a visceral experience for me and not something I will ever willingly give up.  Bacon famously said, "We're born, we copulate, we die..." and that says it all for me. Whether the work takes on a realistic or abstract appearance, just the use of oil paint is inherently sexual and there's no escaping it.  Because the same cannot be said for acrylic, it is useless to me.  I try to work every day and the most successful pieces are born out protracted periods of trial and error. There is always an initial idea, sometimes a very small one, but it's just a starting point.  If I'm patient, the painting develops it's own subject and takes twist and turns that would have never occurred to me and that's the greatest reward.

Artist influence:
Rembrandt, Bacon, DeKooning, Joan Mitchell, Per Kirkeby, Susan Rothenberg, Baselitz early work, David Park, Diebenkorn early figurative, Nathan Oliveira early existential figures...the whole Baroque and Roccoco periods. How could I forget Velazquez and GOYA...maybe Goya is the one, the everything for me. Because of his humanity and incisiveness and not a day passes that I don't look at him. Rembrandt...the inherent voluptuousness in all the DRAWING and PAINTING...and they look like they were done yesterday and reach across time with their presence.  These are elusive qualities unique only to him.  Bacon, his grasp of reality is so prescient today and must be considered by anyone seriously looking at the figure. DeKooning combines qualities of the two mentioned above.  Susan Rothenberg for her fearless and brave brushstrokes.  David Park for his humanity. Diebenkorn for his detached elegance.  Nathan Oliveira for his agonizing love. Velazquez because he embodies all the romance in painting I can bear. Last and first, Mark Dutcher because he is our dreamer painter for today and almost no one touches him.

What motivates You:
To tell you the truth, the need to paint is a force I can't quite explain. My earliest memories are about just wanting to do it and that it was the most natural way for me to tell a story.  It is a compelling feeling that is always present and nothing makes it go away, not even the ACT of painting.  The only time I feel not motivated is right after a show goes up, but that is mostly mild depression that I can't do it again. The solution to that is to pick up the brush.

In California you can stand on your own and find your own way without cleaving to any one dogma or school of thought, and I see that as a good thing.  Out in Orange County I feel isolated from the LA scene, but being a loner it's not so bad.  In the OC there's are nice art communities if you take advantage of it, but that's a personal choice. I like being away from the influence of LA, but there are less venues in OC, so maybe that's a disadvantage.  I tend to keep to myself, so I don't know much about those communities.  Before I was 38 years old I had never been to a museum nor did I know about the artworld as it is today.  I have just felt my way along and made attempts here and there to get the work shown.  I cannot take the credit though, because it is the kind and supportive people who have shown the work who have made things good for me.  In the end the most important thing to me is to improve the painting.

Next thing up..
A group show at Jancar Gallery called "No One Under 18", then a solo at Dolby Chadwick in SF in December, after that, well, we'll see....

Artist Interviews - Finishing School

In this weeks episode of Artist Interviews I'm happy to introduce our friendly neighborhood instigators Finishing School. Enjoy:

Tell us about your work?

We are an artist collective based here in southern California. Our work investigates the many intersections between art and the critical, covert, and common everyday things. Our projects span many topics, styles, points of view, and audience groups. All of our projects attempt to demystify aspects of cultural production and engage viewers into various participatory models. We started in 2001.

At the heart of of work is the desire to always implement the clearest and most appropriate media for each project and the issues it explores rather then establish and maintain a particular visual style and market position in the cultural landscape. Our work is tactical, mostly temporary and short-term, nomadic, sometimes guerrilla, performative, empathetic, evolving, DIY, playful, amateur, engaging, inter-disciplinary, and most importantly an attempt to be relevant. Our projects have been presented in various media disciplines but in no way are we limited to these, including installation, sculpture, graphic design, interactive multimedia, web, video, garage tinkering, participatory theater, street-level performance, and audio work.

Where does the name Finishing School come from?

Finishing School’s name is a playful reference to the private education catering to the affluent which specializes in cultural studies and prepares its students for social activities. The name suggests that it follows compulsory and higher education and is intended to complete the educational experience. We are not stating that our practice completes education but believes that current cultural models can be problematic, incomplete, and should be reconsidered. Several of us are teachers and students in various capacities.

How does the collective work?

Our collective identity is defined by our members' desire to share and employ creative, political and social power and to make decisions on a consensus-driven and egalitarian basis. We prefer that the identity of the collective be the focus rather the individuals that compose the roster. The division of labor is predicated by specialized skills and availability that each member has to share in the collective practice. When applicable, we invite operatives representing a variety of disciplines to participate in projects.

Who has influenced your work?

Goya, Daumier, Brecht, The Situationist International, Allan Kaprow, The A-Team, and CAE, too many to really give justice.

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

We have the unquenchable desire to play, explore, and tinker mixed with a wicked streak of activism. It keeps many of us up late at night. We are happy that we have found each other and consolidated this effort. Depending on the day we are equally fueled by diet coke, sushi, coffee, beer, and in the old days, smokes.

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

Some members of Finishing School live in Orange County and neither see it in terms of benefits or challenges because of the nature of our work and our agenda regarding "our" audience. We aren’t necessarily interested in always positioning ourselves as artists indebted to a particular consumer group or region (i.e. the Los Angeles art scene). We have had a web presence since day one and we have thought globally ever since then. Although, being within the art world does provide certain exposure, funding, and credibility and or context....we wrestled with this one.

What Projects/Shows are up next for you?

We will be launching our book, wwfsd? locally with a party, lecturing at NYU and exhibiting in Brooklyn this spring . We also have several new projects that will be completed in the next few months including:

Little Pharma is an inter-disciplinary investigation of alternative medicine as a viable antidote to some of the Big Pharma pathologies. We will be presenting this at Fringe Exhibitions in Los Angeles this October.

Finding Joy is a site-specific workshop on a former military base in Holland this summer. Project participants build small DIY radios (aka foxhole radios) to locate and listen to recorded transmissions of veterans discussing their perceptions of joy. The strength of the transmission enlists the participants to explore the abandon base grounds to capture the best reception. "Finding joy" is a term used by the military to describe the securing of radio contact with one another.

Bio-alert imagines a world where simply technology can enable plant life to articulate their most basic needs. We are working with Peter Perez on this initiative

 

Artist Interview - Stephen Anderson

Next up on the artist interview series is Stephen Anderson. Stephen has been active in the local scene for several years now and is very involved in the programming and support of OCCCA. Time for Stephen:

Tell us about your work?

Some major series started with the 'Burned Fingers Series of 1,000'. Which took 5 years to complete, 1,000 small individual works that became a mosaic diary of my life and outlook upon the world. Each piece has a part of my hand or fingers, which are burned onto the wood with a blowtorch. Burning as an element of pain (literally being 'burned') and ritualistic healing. Often the fingers were interacting with the collage elements in the pieces.

This lead to a current series called 'Material Issues', which is sculptural collage work dealing with deconstructing advertising slogans, to a more sarcastic and critical view, instead of selling a product or feeling.

I also do installations and video work., the most recent was dealing with issues of gender and sex and how similar the genders are on a biological level, since only one chromosome determines the male gender; Titled 'XY, XX Big Difference, Big Sex'. So i tackle the big questions of life, the pressures of society, of fitting in, why are we here, why we behave as lemmings, a searching for enlightenment and happiness in troubling times. Applied with humor and wit. I use old books and manuals with illustrations and magazines as source material to collage pieces together. applied to wood panels or cut out and assembled. and i use a blowtorch to 'burn' the wood.

What Artists have influenced you and how?

Unconsciously a lot of artists. Because without the history of artists of the past, breaking down traditions and redefining what art is, the artists of today wouldn't have such a wide palette of mediums and topics to pick from.

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

Its in the blood. Creating artwork is an ultimate freedom, its you and only you attempting to make sense of materials and mold them into an image/object/environment that relates to ones philosophy and aesthetics. Also when a person 'gets it'. When they connect with the art and appreciate it that is worth more than selling it. Selling is the 'icing on the cake.' Having someone want a piece that came from your heart and soul, to display in their home is quite powerful and humbling.

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

Benefits i would image is that there are less venues and artists, so you have more of a chance to be seen. Which is also the challenge because less people go out to see art. Unlike say LA or New York or Europe where art is ingrained in the culture. (however in LA I notice is more about being seen and who you 'are' rather than the art, that being said the 'OC' has some of that as well, at least at some of the more 'trendy' venues)

What Projects/Shows are up next for you?

I'm working on a big installation project for November at Orange County Center for Contemporary art: working title so far is "Field Guide to the End of Civilization" Also working on a documentary film. Based on my Grandma and her talent show group The Rancho Rocketts, quite inspiring they are between 60-90 and have more energy and passion than some 20 year olds, not to mention the stories and history they have lived through. Also as co-founder of The Eclectic Company, organizing and scheduling the film and concert series.

Sandow Birk @ Surfline

There's a nice presentation on Sandow Birk up over at Surfline. Enjoy!

Artist Interview - Mindy Cherri

In our next artist interview I'm happy to introduce Mindy Cherri. Mindy is an alumni of The Office and since showing her she has become a really good friend. Her show at The Office also happens to be one of the best selling shows we did. I was also at her last show at J. Flynn where all her stuff sold out. Obviously her work creates a connection with the viewer. Here's Mindy:

Tell us about your work.

My work comes from a trip to a Michael's craft store. One Sunday I was out with my good friend Roxanne, she was purchasing yarn and I was tagging along. While she was making her purchase I saw these Martha Stewartesque plates hanging with ribbons and lacey details and my first thought was, what if those delicate plates spoke truths, not hung with homey sayings but the words of dysfunctional relationships...the true words of households..not words from those so called Leave it To Beaver homes. So I bought a few plates and began to work out my thoughts on relationships, 3 plates became 5, 5 plates became 9, 9 became a series and the series became a way to express bigger ideas about relationships and the words we don't like to use to describe them...the truth truly hurts.

What Artists Have Influenced You and How?

China painters and ladies who make crafts for their homes have been a huge influence on me. Ladies who sew inspirational sayings such as Home Sweet Home to be hung over there hearth to inspire good clean living. Delft painters who create plate collections with adverbs and proverbs for the home. Delft blue painted china to be collected, cherished and passed on to family members. Priceless collectibles that everyone recognizes as a part of nostalgia but nobody wants in there home.

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

My students inspire me to make work. I teach high school art so everyday I am reminded how great it feels to create. Conversing with my students daily about the process of making art and teaching them that each piece is practice keeps me motivated continue with the process. Watching them as artists inspires me daily not to mention the daily flow of energy, it's intoxicating.

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

The benefit of being an artist in Orange County for me is the support I receive from my friends, family and students. It's great to have that kind of support behind you. They are always willing to be part of whatever I have in front of me as an artist and they can't wait to attend the opening. The challenge is the conservative nature of many Orange County buyers. It felt like a huge risk when I made my first plates displaying words like whore, prick, pussy, liar and swallow but they sold...they sold out before the the show even opened, those plus seven others with very similar words. I know most venues in Orange County are not ready for edginess...it doesn't hang well above everyones sofa.

What shows/projects are up next for you?

I'm getting work together for another show at J. Flynn. We haven't set a date yet. I'm hoping for early summer. It's a solo show so I'm excited to show my stuff.

   

Artist Intv - Amandine Nabarra Piomelli

I'm happy to introduce a new regular feature to the OC Art Blog, artist interviews. I'm also happy to introduce my friend from France, Amandine Nabarra Piomelli as our first subject. Amandine is now based in Irvine and consistently shows in our area and is now starting to show in LA and beyond. Enjoy:

1. Tell us about your work.

When I moved from Paris, France to California I found myself immersed in the west coast art world and it transformed my dreams. As a young man my father was a street photographer and we always had an enlarger set up in a closet turned in to a darkroom everywhere we lived. Photography has always been important in my life but it wasn't until I learned digital photography that I became serious about my work. Photoshop allows for experimenting with the subject matter as well as with the printing supports and I have taken advantage of both: creating my own paper, blurring the border between painting and photography, and building structures with images. I have been working on two ongoing projects. The first one is called Imaginary Biology which deals with our perception of nature and the second project explores different aspects of narration through sequencing, installation and artists books.

2. What artists have influenced you and how?

Carvaggio is one of the few masters I keep in mind at all times. He had a passionate/rebellious heart and his work is amazingly spiritual. Also, Frederick Sommer's inventive and surreal images remind me to keep searching for artistic possibilities.

For Imaginary Biology: Fauna I revisited Jean Simeon Chardin and I looked at the work of Michiko Kon and local artist Carlee Fernandez.

For my narrative work, Secret Love, I looked at a lot of impressionist art, book artists and I'm carrying out extensive research on the meaning of secrets in literature as well as in ordinary peoples lives.

Other artists who inspire me at the moment: Annette Messager, Doug and Mike Starn and Christine Nguyen for their use of paper and their experimentation with installations. Lately, I saw the exhibit of Luc Delahey at the Getty Museum and I have been struck by his "historical" large format photographs.

3. What inspires you to make work and how do you stay motivated in the studio?

Sometimes taking a picture allows the reunification of the self with the world. The experience of the moment adds intensity to the image. With digital photography there is an option to subtly manipulate the image to truly emphasize the intuition which guided the process. I am trying to make images that reflect the complexity of my intentions, which in turn define their own inherent world.

There is a kind of urgency when I realize a project...something like an instinctive energy coupled with an intellectual curiosity and when they both work together it feels like poetry. It is for these moments that I work so hard.

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

There are a lot of great artists in Orange County. OC doesn't have the appeal of LA or New York and it's easier to network, be accepted and exhibit. There are institutions that strive to promote OC artists from museums to cultural centers to individual intuitive like The Office. Nonetheless it seems difficult to present experimental art and if we want to sell art we need to reach galleries and agents in big cities where the art market is more developed. To facilitate the transition, I became a member of the Los Angeles Art Association this year and enjoy the opportunity to meet curators, collectors and gallery owners and to sell work.

5. What shows/projects are up next for you?

I will expand my work on "Secret". I am fascinated by the fact everyone of us has secrets and how they shape our destiny. It will take the form of a pop up installation.

Traditional photo papers feel two dimensional and uniform so by hand coating them with different substances (albumen, gesso) they became more tactile and sculptural. It took me six months to make my own paper for Imaginary Biology: Fauna because I wanted the printing support to look like skin. Lately, I have been printing with Mac Holbert at Nash Editions and I came out of our meetings with more experimental ideas to try for the next series on artificial flowers in laboratory settings.

There are talks for a solo show in Los Angeles and an important meeting in France to find a date for an exhibition...It's a exciting time!

Imaginary Biology Series

Secret Love Series