VINTAGE Current Abstractions / Illusions of Reality RARE Events Program LOS ANGELES 1994

Wear from its age, 1994 two sided events program with the following artists:

The City of Los Angeles

Cultural Affairs Department and The Municipal Art Gallery Present:

Current Abstractions

February 22 - April 17, 1994

Curator: Noel Korten

Artists:

Gregory Paul Austin

Maura Bendett

Richard Bruland

Lorel Cornman

Mario Cutaiar

Gregory Wiley Edwards

Sally Elesby

Susan Elias

Sharon Ellis

Merion Estes

Fred Fehlau

Terri Friedman

David Grant

Tim Hawkinson

George Ketterl

Habib Kheradyar

Marcus Lutyens

Kevin Miller

Yunhee Min

Tiffanie Morrow

Manfred Müller

Adam Ross

Linda Stark

Jennifer Steinkamp

Andrew T. Watanabe

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Curator's Statement

In 1989 Francis Colpitt and Phyllis Plous curated

Abstract Options at University of California Santa Barbara. The exhibition was a survey of recent abstract painting and dealt with the question of the continuing validity of abstract art in the hands of contemporary artists. The exhibition made a lasting impression on this curator, particularly the paintings of Moira Dryer - also seen at Fred Hoffman in Santa Monica - and the essay by Phyllis Plous titled "The Conditioning of Our Time." Plous writes that the artists are "dissolving the boundary that divides abstraction and representation, a distinction which has become irrelevant in their search for a balance between the purity of form and the reality of chaos."

In recent years exhibitions have appeared with engaging titles such as Technocolor, at Christopher Grimes Gallery; Coming Unraveled curated by Ann Ayres at the Otis Gallery; Los Angeles: Not Paintings? at the Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum and Peculiar Paintings at Woodbury College both curated by Randy Sommer; Serious Beauty curated by Irit Krygier at the Metropolitan Momentary Contemporary Museum; The Cultivated Field, curated by Mario Cutajar at SITE; and Almost Monochrome Painting curated by David DiMichele for Studio Raid. They are evidence of the recent propagation of art which defies description in traditional terms. What one sees in these exhibitions are works which blur the definition between representation and abstraction. In titling this exhibition Current Abstractions I am emphasizing the renewed utilization of abstraction as a means of representation.

Current Abstractions presents abstract painting and sculpture, along with a video projection, that range from geometric to biomorphic. The exhibition includes some younger artists and several who have been working quite a while. The range of work and the relatively large number of artists included in the show are intended as an indication of the number of artists currently making abstract art today.

Much of the work in the exhibition appears to be engaged in various past styles of abstraction, but the intentions of these artists are quite different. In fact, the objectives of current abstractionists appear to me to be the inverse of past practitioners. Throughout this century modernists have worked through a sequence of abstract styles to create ever more pure, and often reductive, expressions of the spirit, feelings, and the self. By contrast artists today seem to be looking for processes that will produce enigmatic shapes and forms that are multi-referential and capable of representing a complexity of ideas and relationships that are indicative of the times in which we are living. It is as if we have been using a telescope to attempt to isolate and focus on specific truths, but now have turned this same tool around and are looking through it in the opposite direction and seeing a wide-angle view of the world.

Another distinction between past and current abstraction is that there now appears to be little interest in the non-objective that is derived from the human subconscious. Instead, it is important to many of these artists that the work be connected to the physical world and in some way representational of nature. Many works in the exhibition contain astronomical and/or biomorphic shapes and forms.

Here the intent of the work relates to earlier forms of modernist abstraction in that the artists are abstracting from nature - not literally, but visually and conceptually drawing from nature in the broadest sense of the word to include the micro and macro, and man's place in nature.

There are several characteristics that connect the works in this exhibition. First of all, the artists' intentions are not expressionistic, symbolic, or spiritualistic, although such readings may be made by the viewer and not denied by the artist. Early on I found myself casually describing this work as conceptual abstraction. This because much of the work I was seeing operates from a strongly preconceived idea or premise which to a large degree predetermines the appearance of the finished product. These ideas are about sources, materials and process: sources are manifested in broadly interpretive shapes and forms and connect in some way to the physical world. Materials may be light, paint or found objects, but in any case allow the work to hover between illusion and objectness.

Process emerges as the most decisive factor. A body of work is conceived as a specific process that incorporates aesthetic decisions along the way and is applied from one piece to the next. It is often a time consuming, labor intensive, meditative and sometimes obsessive engagement for the artists. Few face the proverbial empty canvas waiting for an idea - they move directly into their processes and pursue them to conclusion.

The characteristic conclusion reached by the artists in Current Abstractions is the melding of a multiplicity of references into an object with aesthetic appeal. There is a conscious interest in a seductive beauty that is evidenced by textured surfaces, rich colors, elegant use of materials, ornamentation and decoration. As objects with beauty the works in the exhibition implicitly convey a sense of idealism. They are hybrids of beauty and complexity that reflect current perceptions about human culture and its relationship to the physical world.

I want to acknowledge all of the artists in the exhibition and thank them for their time and cooperation on behalf of this exhibition. We are indebted to the Cultural Affairs Department of the City of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery Associates for their continued commitment to the exhibition and education programs at Barnsdall Art Park. I also want to acknowledge the role of our Artists Advisory Committee in the development of this exhibition.

Over the past year I regularly sought feedback from this committee as I developed my thoughts about the exhibition and I am grateful for their time and help. Michael Darling has written an insightful essay on abstraction and the artists in this exhibition - it has been a great pleasure to work closely with him. I also wish to thank the Exhibition, Public Relations, Graphic Arts, and Museum Education and Tours staff for their fine work and good spirits in the development and production of this exhibition.

Noel Korten

Curator/Program Director

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Flip Side:

Illusions of Reality

Junior Arts Center Gallery, Barnsdall Art Park

February 22 - April 17, 1994

Curator: Scott Canty

Roger Campbell

James Griffith

Claire Keith

Carlo Marcucci

Anthony Nelson

Steven Robison

Robert Wedemeyer

Laura Whipple

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Illusions of Reality

Curator's Statement

Illusions of Reality explores the use of everyday obiects to create a nontraditional symbolism. Images in this exhibition have multiple meanings which can trigger a variety of interpretations and memories for the viewer. Illusions of Reality was conceived while exploring a quotation from Picasso, "Art is a lie which makes us realize the truth, at least the truth which is given to us to understand." Realistic representations in Illusions of Reality shift the context of the objects depicted thus liberating the viewer's memory and confronting his or her perception of reality.

Old picture frames, lamps, vessels, tables, clothing, memorabilia and a basement all play an important part in the development of Anthony Nelson's photographic investigations. Nelson has transformed a vast array of ordinary objects such as glasses, cloth, boxes, etc., into symbols representing an abstracted, spiritual reality. Within a five-year period Nelson photographed, arranged and rearranged objects to be used as subjects to produce his lush photographic works. Each photo seems to take the viewer on a journey of investigation in the life of the photographer.

Discarded mattresses are the main focus of painter Roger Campbell. In his recent series, Campbell uses images of discarded mattresses to describe relationships he has encountered. To Campbell these are elements of his own biography. Using a trompe L'oeil effect the paintings seem to have the feeling of old discards. The paintings are life size; some lean against the wall, others hang on the wall. One painting in particular has the illusion of a mattress which has been hung up and folded over. These paintings are highly realistic-right down to the rips, creases and buttons. The work explores illusion and speaks of relationships with individuals with whom Campbell has been acquainted over the past few years.

In a similar style of painting Claire Keith explores relationships between objects and viewers. The objects in her paintings are chosen for their design, shape or uniqueness. Objects are juxtaposed in a color field creating isolated presences. The paintings seem to bring out the soul of each object and challenge the viewer to investigate each element in all its splendor. Mixing surreal abstraction and representational images, Steven Robison creates floating worlds.

Above and below the surface is an intermingling of images in a topsy-turvy world which aspires an achieved balance, through change, by using transparent overlays of paint and image. Robison creates contrast and releases tensions through color, composition and style. In addition to these representational and decorative images he uses articulate elements to aid in creating a balance through change.

Using food as his main subject Carlo Marcucci juxtaposes lush fruits and vegetables with text. Marcucci gives us two worlds- the visible and invisible worlds of the commercial produce system. In each painting fruits and vegetables are portrayed in the most appealing and appetizing way. They are paired with images of chemical plants and pesticide formulations. "These paintings are not considered

still life," according to Marcucci, but rather Natura Morta which means "Dead Nature.

A complex, interwoven, interconnected life is James Griffith's ambition in describing the world as he sees it. Using botanical images, Griffith not only refers to the interdependent conditions of ecology but also uses the plant forms in his paintings to speak of growth, life force, fertility and renewal. In his work Griffith mixes recognizable images with patterns and decorative emblems to create a hybrid of abstraction and representational imagery.

Recent works by Robert Wedemeyer come from investigations in perceiving nature. Wedemeyer has developed an interest in the ways which obiects or events are transformed into an image or thought; and how the quality of that event is lost in the process. He has designed and built several cameras and viewing devices from common everyday materials. Based on his intersts, these devices exaggerate and distort perception. Most viewers will understand that humor is a deliberate element in Wedemeyer's work. He uses humor to disarm the viewer and encourages them to see the bigger picture.

Responding to conceptual ideas and exploring deep emotions that reflect her personal and cultural history, Laura Whipple creates sculptures filled with riddles, questions and puzzles. Using objects which are either fabricated, found and or purchased,

Whipple researches an idea and begins to assemble her work, discovering multi layered personal meanings as the work is completed.

Scott Canty

Curator