OC Art Blog

Art in the Streets

Los Angeles, CA  Okay, so the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA is not technically in the Orange County, but everybody who's anybody was at this monster of an event! And you have to believe that OC Art Blog Followers were not going to miss out on this "members only" premiere. Art in The Streets is a huge milestone for street art as a whole, and for Los Angeles street art specifically. This event will go down in history. The first giant museum exhibit of street art from beginning to end. The exhibition covered the history of the art movement, from the giant graffiti lettering on trains with Cornbread, and leading as far down the road as Zephyr surfboards and skateboard art, and even to Barry McGee, Shepard Fairey and the infamous Banksy. 

The show has been surrounded by controversial issues that I will not go into detail about at this particular point in time, but its safe to say this exhibit leaves the viewer asking all kinds of questions. The curatorial decisions were interesting and make me wonder the specific motives for certain choices. The installations were over the top, eye-catching, fun-house-like mazes and dioramas. The installations housed some animatronic sculptures which lacked any unique inventiveness as robotic creations, they simply did as they were expected to do - spray paint on a wall. But the dollhouse-like set up for the majority of the exhibit was powerful and definitely helped lead the crowds through one particular route. 

The artists represented in this exhibit were mainly heavy-hitting graffiti artists alongside some typographic vandals, cut-out artists, a couple stencilers, and very few wheat-pasters. The RVCA influence via Aaron Rose was so prominent that I felt it might have hindered the overall coverage of street art as a whole.  RVCA and Aaron Rose specifically are known for representing what they call the "Beautiful Losers" group (Aaron Rose made a documentary about such a group entitled Beautiful Losers). Almost all of the beautiful losers were exhibited in interesting, large installations, even with post-humus artist, Margaret Killgallen.

The bookstore/gift shop had a line that wrapped around the corner and every person walking out of there had stacks of books in hand, and as a museum-goer you did have to exit just next to  - and not "through the gift shop", which was a well thought out decision on Deitch's part. The project as a whole was a huge success, the thousands of people entering and paying $25 per head (if you were not a MOCA member) were eager to be a part of this historic event. As the director for MOCA, Jeffrey Deitch had a hard task on his hand... How do you take street art off the street and display it in a museum setting? AND on top of that... How do you incorporate all aspects and avenues of street art into one exhibit? Jeffrey Deitch was quoted in the Huffington Post saying, "If you harness your talent you can be in a museum some day, make a contribution and a living from it." With recent graffiti and vandalism spikes in the areas surrounding MOCA, Deitch also invites residents that receive these unsanctioned artworks on their private property to keep them safe, as the artist might be the next "Banksy". Deitch is known for promoting and representing street artists in his gallery setting, but his choices for artists for this particular exhibit are curious. Very few contemporary STREET ARTISTS in Los Angeles were represented, specifically our well known wheat-pasters, cut-outs, and sticker crews here in L.A. The exhibit focused mostly on the big earners in the street-art-gallery realm, not the street itself. The historical balance was present, which is very important to understanding the movement as a whole, but questions that are still plaguing my mind after seeing this exhibition include... Who says which street artist has "made it"? The main venue for this art is in the street... What makes a sell-out anyway?... Why are so few of the L.A. up-and-coming street artists represented as part of this exhibit?... Why did the installations have to be over the top, disneyland-esque maze-rides?

Just some food for thought, I suppose. All in all, it is truly a show you cannot miss if you are in Southern California. Art in The Streets is up until August 8, 2011. Don't miss it. and please, share with us what you think.

 

-Evan A. Senn, contributing writer for OC Art Blog. Founder of R.A.R.W., www.rarwart.com

*photos courtesy of S.A. Hawkins (www.sahawkins.com)

David Jacobs' Solo Show

 

David Jacobs Solo Art Show
The ARTery Gallery @ The LAB, Costa Mesa

Opening Reception: Friday, April 8th, 7-11pm
Show runs 4/8 - 4/24

Curated by Phee Farnsworth

Please join us for David Jacob's first solo show, hors d'oeuvres, drinks, and beats by Angel Esquivel & Aldo Mardueno.

 

Now, let's chat with David about his big day tomorrow.

Jennifer: Hey David, it's your first show tomorrow! What are some thoughts running through your head right now?

David: I suppose inevitably one wonders how the work will be recieved.  It easy for friends and family to say they like your work.  It's completely different when you place yourself into the public sphere.  Strangers can be brutally honest and deep down we're all a bit self-conscious.  Second thing going through my mind is whether the food will be good.

Jennifer: What type of artwork did you include in this show? 

David:  The show is a culmination of a concept I have been working on for a couple of years now. My work deals with advertisement and propaganda. I specifically focus on how nostalgic and recognizable imagery formulate a thought process. I delve into how images signify  different ideas to different people based on their various cultures and backgrounds.  I included my newest work that I've been holed up with in my studio for the last few years.   I think of the work as  a response to the intrusiveness visual imagery can play in our lives.  However, unlike advertisement I am not pushing ideas.  I am vehemently against forcefully propagating agendas onto others.  Regardless, I do play off of peoples expectations to be told what to think.

Jennifer: I remember you said you admire artists David Salle, and John Baldessari. What do you like about them? How did they inspired your work?

David:  I feel their art is a great representation of the world we live in.  Art has always been more than picture making.  It is the longest dialogue mankind has ever had.  The conversation started long ago with early humans representing their world, culture and surroundings with cave paintings.  Since then every facet of mankind has contributed a bit by adding their own view on the world and their culture.  Major shifts in philosophy, technology, and common knowledge have always precipitated a change in the way art is made and practiced.  Salle and Baldessari represent the modern world very well.  They highlight how we think differently and how we are influenced differently than any other generation before us.  That makes them an extremely relevant and important footnote in the history of art. 

Jennifer: Thanks so much for chatting with us! Because you are so nice, I'm going to feel guilty for putting you on the spot, but -- Why should we come check out your art opening tomorrow night?

David:  Besides pointing out how awesome I am?   If you've never gone to a show or an opening its always a good experience to have for the first time.  Shows at a gallery are always more fun than the memories one has of childhood being dragged around a museum.  If you have gone to a show before then you know there will be free alcohol, enough said.

Thanks David! Now that you know David a little bit, guess you have to take this virtual friendship to the next level - meet in person! I will be there near the food section, so see you there?

--Jennifer

The show will be on display through April 24. Gallery hours are available atwww.twitter.com/ARTery_Gallery or by appointment to ARTery [at] thelab.com

 

The ARTery Gallery @ The LAB, Costa Mesa

2930 Bristol St, Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Suspended in Space, and Speculative Materialism

This weekend is so eventful! Spend a day with art as you head over to Anaheim for Suspended in Space at 4pm, and Long Beach (D-Block Project) for Speculative Materialism at 7pm. Oh look, got your whole day planned out. You are very welcome.

-Jennifer

Brandon Boyd and the spectacle

 
Brandon Boyd wrap-around wall mural at the )( Space gallery in Costa Mesa, on view now until April 15th, 2011  (photo by Joanna Grasso)

There I was, Friday morning, hitting the road. I was flying back to the OC just in time to catch the much anticipated Brandon Boyd exhibition at the Hurley )( Space gallery.  That's right, another collaboration between the local surf and clothing mega company and a high profile artist.  I say much anticipated, but that is because only after researching the artist I became familiar with his celebrity status, beginning by making some calls. I needed local 'peep' consensus on this guy's coolness levels.  Apparently, I'm too old or too far out of the music loop to have been giddy at the thought of meeting this cat on Saturday night.  But the mere mention of his name brought a twinkle to the eyes of my 20-something OC crew, which in all honesty piqued my interest.   

 

 

 

In a strange turn of events,  the OC Art Blog's new photographer had to cancel on the gig. . . so there we were, Jennifer as co-pilot, toughing it out with hundreds (YES I said hundreds) of Incubus fans to get a peak at the man himself. Mr. Brandon Boyd.  Oh yeah, and the artwork was there too.

 

As I rolled up to the gallery the tension was palpable.  Doormen finally broke the mood by allowing those lucky first que makers inside to get a look at the wall to wall mural and buy some H.O.P.E. booty.  Amist the bouncer/body guards the chatter was all about how Brandon did this, or how he feels that, or even what HE was try say with these new artworks. 

 

I was fascinated by how much of a personal connection these people felt to the artist.  While I was busy trying to figure out the island reference in the artwork I realized that I had never seen an art crowd this innamored with the artist.  That is when it hit me, celebrity.  Yeah I know, I was a little slow I'll admit (totally blaming the jet-lag) but it was intoxicating. 

Adoring fans outside )( Space gallery

 

It wasn't the line wrapping around the building of fashionable gallery goers yearning to see the artwork, or the cute bartenders smiling as if they really were there to serve me, or even the pleasure of watching Jennifer eat those little tatter tot thingy-s that brought a twinkle to my eyes . . . it was the spectacle that entertained me most.

 

As Boyd decended into the gallery, a hush fell, then the clammer of cameras and flashes.  A mob moved in around him as all eyes were fixed on the scene.  As the blob (Boyd + Mob) made its' way past the sales counter and through the entry miraculously squeezing into the main gallery I was left virtually alone in the entrance gallery area.  There I was, surrounded by t-shirts and works on paper.  That's when it hit me, it was all about his celebrity.  Brandon Boyd is famous.  His lyrics have been pumping into the ear buds of these people for over a decade and this, this was his following.  It is very noble that celebrities use their fame to shed light on national and global issues great and small, and even raise funds for otherwise forgotten causes. All wonderful and noteworthy. But does anyone else question the validity of public figures using their celebrity for product promotion even if the cause is noble?  Sometimes I see the most amazing artists during my travels, artists whose work will never get a fraction of the recognition or platform that celebrity artwork receives.  Okay, enough soap box. 

I (and most likely 99% of my fellow gallery goers) was so entranced that I almost forgot.  We are talking about art here. What about the artwork? Only one original drawing on the wall, the others looked like digital prints. The main gallery was covered with a wall-to-wall mural with text and imagery, which may or may not be a reference to the story of Jonah and the Whale of Christian, Islamic, and Judaic narratives.  Waiting to hear back from Mr. Boyd himself to comment on this one.  The works use heavy black graphic lines to delineate imagery that is largely decorative and flat blocks of color is used to ground some of the more fluid forms- reminds me of Japanese woodblock printing with a contemporary edge. 

 

Now back to the spectacle. . .Once the artist had signed his fair share of autographs, chatted with guests, and posed for the appropriate number of pics he made his way back up the stairs to the refuge above. The room felt as if it let off a sigh of relief and anxious joy.  Then the announcements came to CLEAR OUT from bouncers and the over-worked marketing staff .  .  .  the next batch of fans were waiting to get it.  We were spared, press does have a few perks.

Brandon Boyd greets his fans 

 

Later I was told that the artist made at least three more rounds of this to meet and greet all the fans, but one round was enough for Jennifer and I gave-up our prime real estate to adoring fans to view the spectacle themselves.

We have been generously granted an interview with Mr. Boyd.  

I'm interested in asking about some of his influences and I'm giving him the infamous loaded question of " how do you define art" just to shake things up a bit.   Have anything you are itching to know??

Send me the questions ASAP and I'll get them in the interview.

 See you all soon.

Enjoy the pics.

 

 

 
Brandon Boyd original artwork on T-shirts buying frenzy at )( Space in Costa Mesa, a portion of the proceeds go to H.O.P.E. (Helping Other People Everywhere)  

Crowd image by Jennifer Cheng

 

All photo credits to Joanna Grasso and Jennifer Cheng

- Joanna Grasso, Contributing Writer and professional sweeper

BRANDON BOYD Opening at the Hurley )( Space Gallery

Don't miss a chance to meet artist, musician, surfer and activist BRANDON BOYD. (yes, that is the very same Boyd from rock band INCUBUS)

Brandon Boyd working on drawing selected for H.O.P.E. & Hurley collaboration (image provided by Hurley)

Another Collaboration for HURLEY - This time they are working with Brandon Boyd and H.O.P.E. (Helping Other People Everywhere) to raise funds and bring awareness to conserving our oceans. If you haven't taken a walk on the beach in the early morning lately you should.  While being surrounded by one of the most beautiful places in the world you would also see how immediate the problem is of non-biodegradable plastics washing up on OC's shores, just to bring it home for you, not to mention the global clean water issues that are at hand.

I'm told that attendees of the opening reception will get first crack at perusing Boyd's wall murals encompassing the main gallery and purchasing the t-shirts & water bottles with selected artworks, proceeds going towards H.O.P.E.'s programming, and otherwise available after April 25th at Buckle Store, on line, or at selected retailers.

As always, there will be an array of food and libations.  

The OC Art Blog has also been offered a chance to interview artist/musician/surfer/activist Boyd so stay tuned for article.

Hurley )( Space Gallery this Saturday night in Costa Mesa, 6-9pm at the Hurley compound on Placentia. Bring your wallets, appetites and your fashionable selves . . .See you there! 

-Joanna

Here's the Info:

 

HURLEY ANNOUNCES

FASHION AND ART COLLABORATION

WITH INCUBUS FRONT-MAN BRANDON BOYD

TO BENEFIT 

H.O.P.E.

(Helping Other People Everywhere) 

 

Iconic surf brand Hurley announces a collaboration with musician, artist and activist Brandon Boyd, lyricist and lead singer of the band Incubus, on an exclusive art-inspired fashion collection benefiting H.O.P.E. (Helping Other People Everywhere).Brandon Boyd’s life is characterized by self-expression -- a fusion of art, music, writing, activism and surfing. His love of the ocean is often the catalyst in his efforts as an activist, and this collaboration was no exception.

A multi-talented visual artist who works in a variety of mediums, Boyd took to his sketchbook for this project. His watercolor and ink drawings result in imagery that is both beautiful and subtly stirring. These designs are featured on the Hurley collaboration shirts.

 "My relationship with Hurley began over a decade ago and was born of a mutual appreciation for surfing, music, art and like minds. We have done projects together in the past but it seemed like it was time we truly put our collective heads together to make a real dent in a situation that affects us all, most importantly the swiftly growing problems in our oceans. We start herein as surfers and musicians, and are moving forward as stewards of our Island," says Boyd about his longstanding relationship with Hurley and his mission behind the creative collaboration.

A portion of the sales from the limited edition collection, available at Buckle nationwide, specialty retailers and online at Hurley.com beginning April 1, 2011, will benefit HOPE, a 501(c)3 non-profit focused on involving artists and their contributions in campaigns, programs and events to support existing social projects that promote education and peace around the world.

Hurley will celebrate the launch of the Brandon Boyd collection with an art show featuring the original works the collection is based upon.  Boyd will paint a mural on a wall of the Hurley )( SPACE gallery for the show. The event, which is open to the public, will take place on Saturday, April 2nd from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM at the Hurley )( SPACE Gallery (1945 Placentia Avenue, Costa Mesa, CA 92627).

About Hurley

Founded in 1999, Hurley is an authentic “Microphone for Youth” brand rooted in surf, skate, art, music and beach cultures. Driven by creativity and freedom of expression, Hurley develops world-class products for guys, girls and kids, including sportswear, footwear, eyewear, accessories, loungewear, swimwear and wetsuits. A wholly owned, independently run subsidiary of Nike, Inc., Hurley’s corporate headquarters are located in Costa Mesa, CA, with international offices in Tokyo, Sydney, Barcelona and Bali. www.hurley.com

 

About H.O.P.E.

H.O.P.E. (Helping Other People Everywhere) is a project of H.O.P.E. Events Inc. H.O.P.E. is an energy conscious 501(c) 3 non-profit focused on involving artists and their contributions in campaigns, programs and events to support existing social projects that promote education and peace around the world http://hopecampaign.org/

 

 

"Iron John" transforms Fullerton

Fullerton, CA    Last night, on Saturday evening I found myself walking into some sort of Wonderland that seemed as if it were on the other side of the looking glass...

A living room fit for a wizard... a giant chandelier with flickering candle-light hung in the center of this small alternate universe I had stumbled upon... Plush and ornate couches invited me to sit in front of a large fireplace with fluttering flames, falsely warming the room while I take a gander at beautifully rendered and creatively re-imagined illustrations and read the classic fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm... 

Portraits of creatures covered the walls with decorative ornament enhancing my intrigue... I felt like I was 11 years old again, standing in the fairy tale world that I so desperately wanted to escape to.

...This transformed space was the East Gallery at CalState Fullerton's campus. The imaginative master of this unique experience was Jacob Romeo Lecuyer. With the help of his partner and wife, Renee Rose-Perry, Romeo turned an M.A. exhibition and a book preview into an imaginative realm for people to escape to in an originally white cube gallery space. The contemporary art world rarely allows such classic creativity and artistry to take such power over a space, but the new interpretations of the classic fairy tales from the Brothers Grimm by Romeo lend for nostalgia and passionate thought as the viewer moves through this transformed space. 

Romeo is a witty and fascinating character on his own, so it is no surprise to me that he is able to be so clever and creative with this small space. Examining this artist I noticed a collection of accessories that re-appropriate already existing gadgets into personally helpful devices. His cell phone sits attached to his belt with the help of a crafted velcro device that also houses his blue tooth ear piece. This strange inventiveness and craft completely parallel his art. His art re-appropriates characters and concepts that we can already recognize and turns them into something new, interesting, and provocative.

An M.F.A. student in CalState Fullerton's Illustration program, you can peer into his glass-walled studio space at Grand Central Art Center, and see what other crafty devices and artworks he is dreaming up next.

*Iron John is up til March 25th, 2011. More info at www.jacobromeo.com

Evan A. Senn, contributing writer for OCArtBlog, founder of RARW and www.rarwart.com

Santa Ana Art Walk

Santa Ana Art Walk. First Saturday of every month @7-10pm. Pictures from March 5th.

Danielle, Krystof Andres (photographer), and Joe at Raven Studios

Andrea Harris at her printmaking studio next to Grand Central Art Center. You can come in her studio during the art walk and learn how to make prints!

Liz, April, and Randi

 

Evan Senn, an artist in her studio inside the Grand Central Art Center.

Russell and Jeff

Tweena Tran, Piano Instructor, in her studio Ste D: Tweena's Tunes

Nicole Steiman, owner of the ARTbar.

Anneliese, Marta, and friends 

Mr Tough Guy, and Alli

 

Have you been to Santa Ana Art Walk? Share with us your experience!

 

Photos by OC Art Blog

Mat Gleason Talks to You

A "Before and After" picture of Mat Gleason's hair cut. Say hello to reality tv show!

Mat Gleason arrived at Cal State Fullerton for a guest talk Thursday, March 3. He founded Coagula Art Journal (Coagula.com) in 1992, and since then has written for other journals, including breaking the record for traffic in the art section of the Huffington Post (just check the amount of angry comments in articles). Cougular Art Journal, issues available online as well as in print, is the self proclaimed “the low down on high art online.”

 

A photo of Mat Gleason at the guest talk in CSUF

Known for his cutting edge opinion on what is and isn't art and his un-censorship to ambiguous topics in the art world: Stephen Kinzer of the New York Times named him “a famously provocative local art critic.” So I expected the guest talk to be a ride-- and he delivered. If you are an art student and bring a painting to Mat Gleason for a critique, do not be surprised if he says your work is not art, does not raise consciousness or deeper discussion, and is shit.  Mat has even advised art students in private school, who are paying $34,000 a year, to use their tuition to throw parties. The networking they would do for their future career would have the highest potential by throwing 40 parties a year. They will meet more people in four years of parties than school, and the relationships will be more intimate.

Despite his often-negative comments about the art establishment, Mat claims he is quite positive. I think he is a philosophical, impulsive and brutally honest thinker. Guilty of not knowing Mat Gleason prior to this event, I spent some time in Youtube (watch this) and was amused by his responses. Like watching a reality TV show, he is one of those characters you are meant to hate and love at the same time. In fact he dyed his hair red for a work-in-progress reality TV show deal.  I like his commentaries because he is bringing art to a bigger audience, and people who do not live inside the art world can understand him and understand art. Ultimately, should not every artist thrive to use visual imagery to communicate beyond language barriers?

 

If you have met Mat Gleason in person, what do you think about his reputation compares to meeting him in real life? If you have never met him, would you want to?

What do you think about Mat Gleason's hair cut?

 

Photo credit: A picture screen cap from Ovation TV | Art or Not? and a photo of Mat Gleason and I; A photo of Mat Gleason at the guest talk in CSUF.

Photos by OC Art Blog

-- Jennifer Cheng

Sunrise to Sunset

A breathtaking masterpiece taken by George Kaczmarek came with a story of falling near a deep black hole in the canyons.

 

SUNRISE TO SUNSET INSPIRES ORANGE COUNTY ARTISTS

 

Award winning international photographer George Kaczmarek is the featured artist in the first  ‘Sunrise to Sunset’ exhibition at the non-profit OCFA’s Showcase Gallery at South Coast Plaza Village.  The free opening reception is from 4 PM – 7 PM on Saturday, 12^th March.

 

George Kaczmarek has gravitated to regions of the world that are legendary and sometimes hazardous in order to capture his remarkable images.  His style is to immerse himself in the environment and absorb the character of a landscape, animal or small detail that catches his eye.

 

George thinks nothing of taking risks to get the shot: ‘Twilight at Delicate Arch’, for example, is an image that nearly cost him his camera when he fell near a deep black hole in the canyons.  The resulting image however, is a masterpiece of photography that demonstrates George’s willingness to make the trek in cold and forbidding weather to capture an image to share with the world.

 

Says Showcase Gallery Director Margie Zuliani:  “George Kaczmarek's work in the Sunrise to Sunset Exhibition at Showcase Gallery is a breath taking presentation; over twenty powerful award winning images taken throughout North America, one of a kind images that rival many of the greatest pictures ever taken. Mr Kaczmarek's exhibition is a memorable example of the great achievement of

photography in the digital era.”

 

George Kaczmarek and juried members of the OCFA exhibiting in the ‘Sunrise to Sunset’ will meet guests at the reception to talk about their work.  Live music is provided by the Steve Harris Jazz Collective, and refreshments and appetizers will be served.

 

WHERE: South Coast Plaza Village
1631 W. Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, CA,92704
WHEN: Saturday, 12^th March, 4 PM – 7 PM

Art show// Meet the artist

Unseamingly OC: Fashion and Art Collide

Love fashion and art? There is an art show coming to Downtown Anaheim next Saturday that is aims to showcase fashion. Don't forget the mixer starts at 5:30pm. 

The Orange County Fashion Association & Promenade Gallery Present Fashion-Themed Art Show,

"Unseamingly OC: Fashion and Art Collide"

Opening Reception & Mixer, Saturday,  March 12, 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm (Check in begins 5:30pm)

203 Center Street Promenade, Anaheim, CA 92805

 

Featured artists include: Shaunna Peterson, Kristin Van't Zelfden, Christie
Yuri Noh,, Aileen Holmes, Ivan Trejo, Kim Malachowski, and Alice Young.

The Orange County Fashion Association in partnership with the Promenade
Gallery will present a fashion exhibition. The fashion art show will feature
artists celebrating the beauty and style of fashion with illustrations,
photography, paintings, and other fine artwork.
Refreshments will be served and raffles prizes will be given away.

The art show is curated by Tracey Taylor, art consultant and director of The
ARTery Gallery @ The LAB in Costa Mesa, CA and independent curator for
galleries throughout Southern California.

//On view from March 12 - March 26, 2011
Open for viewing Thursdays, 12:00 pm - 7:00 pm and Saturdays, 12:00 pm -
5:00 pm.//

RSVP:
Asunta Bamini, Director of Community Outreach,
[email protected]