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Tag Archives: Contemporary Art
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Save the Date for Rise!
Whitney Modern, in collaboration with Gutfreund Cornett Art, and guest juror Joan McLoughlin of McLoughlin Gallery, San Francisco, are pleased to present Rise: Empower, Change, Action! This juried exhibition features selected works in the gallery by thirty-six artists from locations around the country and additional twenty-five artists on a looping slideshow on a monitor in the gallery. If you are in the area, please join us for the reception and artist talk for Rise, Saturday, July 21, 12:30 – 3:30 pm (talk at 2:30).
RISE: Empower, Change and Action! brings artists into dialogue and brings forth what is important to self, community, our nation and the world at large through art that reflects on, addresses and seeks solutions for a more positive, empowering future, particularly for self-identified women and girls as well as their families. It is underpinned by the feminist principle that believes in political, economic and social equality for all. RISE emphasizes the commonalities of our human experience.
Join the conversation and see paintings, sculpture, printmaking, photography, collage and installations that speak for equality, independence and human rights while offering insight, healing and transformation.
Exhibition runs July 19 – August 31, 2018 hours Wednesday – Saturday: 11:00 – 5:30, Tuesday by appointment.
Whitney Modern Gallery 24 N. Santa Cruz Avenue, 2nd floor (no elevator), Los Gatos, CA
Nasturtium Tea I
Waterlines Preview Party
Waterlines opened up last night at NUMU with a fabulous, packed preview party for members! I am so honored to be part of this extremely beautiful show curated by Marianne McGrath with such outstanding artists working in a multiplicity of media and bringing distinct perspectives and sensitive visions and voices speaking to our experience of water. Exhibiting artists include: Judith Belzer, Barbara Boissevain, Marie Cameron, Matthew Chase-Daniel, Christel Dillbohner, Linda Gass, Nancy Genn, Liz Hickok, Theodora Varnay Jones, Pantea Karimi, Cheryl E. Leonard, Danae Mattes, Marsha McDonald, Klea McKenna, Ryan M. Reynolds and Linda Simmel, I have added links to all of their websites which can be accessed by clicking on their names below.
Always a pertinent topic, and especially so in California, NUMU was able to enjoy the support of sponsors such as Badger Meter and San Jose Water Company and Kumiko Iwasawa, Iwasawa Oriental for Waterlines.
Executive Director Lisa Coscino and Curator Marianne McGrath, talking about the genesis of the show and introducing sound artist Cheryl E. Leonard who played transporting music with objects from the sea and layers of recorded sounds from waves and melting glaciers.
Here are some of her instruments, mussel shells, stones, dried kelp flute, stinger driftwood and shell rattles and sand.
Music by Cheryl E. Leonard, Video by Oona Stern.
I love how the various pieces in Waterlines seem to be in conversation with one another.
With my assemblage painting with found objects and Pacific Ocean water, Stilla Maris which is Latin for Drop of the Sea and is thought to be the precursor to Stella Maris.
With California Water Rites, my assemblage with Los Gatos tap water.
California Water Rites and Poem
Theodora Varnay Jones – Poem
Christel Dillbohner with Frozen in Time – oil, cold wax on linen and Motionless Torrents – oil on silver leaf.
With Danae Mattes and her Evaporation Pool.
Site Specific Evaporation Pool by Danae Mattes.
Exhibiting artists Danae Mattes and Liz Hickok with Holly Van Hart.
Liz Hickok‘s photographs (sublimation print on aluminum) Lithosphere and Signal to Noise.
Pantea Karimi speaking about her silkscreen, Mapping a Gulf: The Persian Gulf Map and Tour of The Persian Gulf Album with Lorraine Lawson.
Judith Belzer‘s paintings.
Linda Gass with her sumptuous painted silk textile pieces, Owens River Diversion and San Joaquin Merced Revival.
Marsha McDonald – Slough, one of many GIF videos of water.
Barbara A. Boissevain aerial photographs of Bay Area salt ponds.
Barbara A. Boisssevain – Salt Pond Restoration Photo Grid
Matthew Chase-Daniel – Swamp South of Crescent City – photo assemblage.
Nancy Genn‘s Patagonia series casein paintings on canvas.
Linda Simmel photopolymer intaglio etchings, 75kts and 60kts.
Linda Simmel – Book of Seas – gesso/pencil on gampi paper, steel binding.
Ryan Reynolds – Frogshead and Petaluma River – oil on panel.
Klea McKenna Rainstorms & Rain Studies
Waterlines runs from October 6 – March 18. November 4th several Waterline artists will be present to talk about their work (including me) in conjunction with NUMU’s Winter Celebration. I hope you get a chance to see the exhibit in person because my photographs are not capturing the beauty of the work!
Anemone Tea I Alighting at Gallery 24
In Anemone Tea I, which I’ve just listed on the website and will be taking into Gallery 24 this morning, I’ve paired one of the Steller’s Jays that hangs out around my studio with an antique blue flow Chen-Si teacup and anemones which signify forsaken love in the Victorian language of flowers.
Anemone Tea I
Magnolia Tea II Alighting at Gallery 24
I just listed Magnolia Tea II on the website and will be bringing it into Gallery 25 with a flock of other Birds and Teacups. In this painting, I tried to bring home some of the magic of spotting a white hummingbird in the wild to capture it in a domestic still life with this unusual, unpainted Limoges demitasse set and Magnolia Grandiflora bloom which represents nobility and perseverance in the Victorian language of flowers.
Magnolia Tea II
Your Presence Soothes Me
I love how these paintings come together, often the teacup is the inspirational launching point, but this time I had spotted a Townsend’s Warbler in my neighbor’s camellias and while photographing it (such a shy bird) I began to imagine what flower might suit its sweet masked face… and knew right away that it had to be the black and yellow striped petunia which I picked up in one of my local nurseries, and finding a matching teacup turned to be a cinch on ebay – a Royal Standard bone china classic from England! When I discovered the Victorian meaning of the petunia was “your presence soothes me”, I thought of the mourning jewelry I’ve been quietly obsessed with as of late and included a braided hair locket in my vignette. Of course, it wasn’t complete until I had a backdrop worked out and my yellow cotton dress with black and white feather embroidery seemed perfect. I’ve framed the painting in a sculptural, undulating black frame with a rich patina. I liked this combination so much, I went on to paint a matching Petunia Tea II with a gold locket.
Both of these paintings were just listed on my website and I will be taking them into Gallery 24 in Los Gatos, California this Friday along with a flock which includes a Steller’s Jay, a White Anna’s Hummingbird and a House Finch, which I’ll be posting, post haste!
Petunia Tea II
Petunia Tea I
Whitney Modern is Open!
Welcome Whitney Modern, the newest contemporary fine art gallery in the Silicon Valley! Situated on the second floor of the historic Tempelman Building 24 N. Santa Cruz Avenue in Los Gatos California. In it’s beautifully renovated, light filled space, Whitney Modern is hosting the work of artists such as Gordon Smedt, Gustavo Ramos Rivera, Davis Burnett, Douglas Andelin, Brigitte McReynolds and Tim Cisneros. Here are a few pictures from their fabulous opening reception Thursday night.
Artist Gordon Smedt.
Vignette did the gorgeous floral arrangements for the reception.
Broad Shoulders,Gordon Smedt, Oil on Canvas
Brigitte Reynolds
Doulas Andelin
Back Lit, Douglas Andelin, Oil on Paper.
Red Scarf, Douglas Andelin, Oil on Paper.
Artist Brigitte Reynolds and Gallerist Suzanne Whitney-Smedt.
Gustavo Ramos Rivera
Artist Gustavo Ramos Rivera.
Studio Visit with Michele Pred
Permission to gush?
I got to meet my favorite contemporary artist Michele Pred in her Oakland studio this week! I adore what she’s doing with her Pred-à-Porter line, combining iconic, vintage accessories with birth control pills and electroluminescent (EL) wire to address gender and racial equity issues. Oh, so fabulous and conceptually spot on! Unlike most political art, these pieces are not confined to a gallery space or some public installation but are portable, fashionable bill boards that you can take with you out on the town and engage with personally.
I think the purse, the shoes the hats, they’re all perfect anthropomorphic objects, something we can really identify with. They are metaphors for where our heads our at, where out feet lead us, and the purse is a vessel, a symbol of our wealth and personal power.
Detail of vintage pill box hat with birth control veil.
Vintage hat box travel case with birth control target.
This wall of vintage skin toned purses laced with EL wire is quite profound, offering gender and race based earnings when compared to that of an average white male.
Matching up my skin tone…
The Pred-à-Poter purses come in array of empowering limited additions messages, such as, MY BODY MY BUSINESS, PRO CHOICE, #ACCESS, FEMINIST and EQUALITY. Of course each is one of a kind as they are made up from carefully selected vintage bags with their own unique shapes, colors and handles.
Some of the Pred-à-Porter purses can be seen here, unlit and reflecting the light from the windows, with Refelections. I was so happy to see these pieces in person, but for much better photography, check out Michele Pred’s website, michelepred.com While you’re there you can check out what Supreme Court Justice, Sonia Sotomayor, Rachel Maddow and others had to say about her work or check it out at the Nancy Hoffman Gallery in New York or Johansson Projects in Oakland.
Seeing my inner feminist shine back at me with Reflections.
The artist at her desk.
Poking around the studio was so much fun – vintage treasures / supplies everywhere!
Permission to gloat?
I’m now the proud owner a Pred-à-Porter original! I feel like I need to go some place fabulous and start making some waves!