STUDIO-ONLINE

Phoebe Washer Kokeshi. 2009

Kokeshi originated in the north of Japan in a region called Tohoku, and often were the toys of the children of farmers or souvenirs for visitors to nearby hot springs. Handmade out of wood, they traditionally were characterized by a slim trunk for a body and a larger round head. As a Japanese folk toy, kokeshi are believed by some to be charms that can help ward off dangers, especially fire. The wood of the mizuki tree is often used for kokeshi and mizuki literally translates as “water tree.”

In the post-World War II era, a new style of kokeshi emerged alongside the traditional: the sosaku (creative). Kokeshi with different shaped heads and bodies, an assortment of colors and even the introduction of hair were designed as part of the sosaku movement. In the sosaku tradition, the only limits were governed by the imagination of each kokeshi designer.

The Kokeshi: From Folk Toy to Art Toy exhibition will be presented in three sections: traditional, contemporary American; and custom. The traditional will include examples of the 10 classic styles and post-war creative movement. On display in the first section will be over 200 breathtaking examples of traditional kokeshi dolls from the extensive collection of Itske and Anthony Stern.

The second section of the exhibition stands in brilliant contrast to traditional kokeshi, showcasing the work of eleven contemporary artists who produce interpretations inspired by — and which pay homage to — these humble dolls. Artists for this section include Nicole DeLeon, Alexandra Gjurasic, Sachiho Hino Lee, Margaret Kasahara, Emi Motokawa, Joji Okazaki, David and Kazumi Kobayashi Svenson, Phoebe Washer, James Watts, and Kathy Yoshihara.

The third section is curated by Christina Conway in a lively reprise of her hit 2007 show in San Diego. This section presents a thoroughly eclectic display of all new work. Over 100 well-known international contemporary artists demonstrate the breadth of their artistic inspiration and the malleability of form and concept, and all based on the same simple kokeshi form each was given. Among the artists participating are David Horvath & Sun-Min Kim, APAK, Kozyndan, Hine Mizushima, Amy Sol, and Tara McPherson.

Japanese American National Museum
369 East First Street
Los Angeles, California 90012
213-625-0414
www.janm.org

VIEW EXHIBITION

We present Nicolás Herrera, one of Latin America’s gifted artists. Herrera is a self-taught artist residing in one of the most artistic and majestic cities of the Andes.

His work portraits the folk stories told by generations of Ecuadorian natives that lived in mountain’s villages, stories based on spirits and magic.

Apart from being a talented artist, he is also a humanist, he has dedicated the last ten years to building one of the largest art centers in his country, the Nicolás Herrera Cultural Center. In 2007 the Nicolás Herrera Museum opened its doors.

The “Nicolás Herrera” Museum project is a 2000 square meters construction that sits atop of a hill with great views of the city and the Yahuarcocha lake (lake of blood - named after the massacre of the natives by the Spaniards). The museum has four exhibition spaces, one permanent exhibition space for the artist’s work and another for a permanent exhibit by contemporary artists. The other two spaces are to be used as temporary exhibits for invited international artists

Herrera’s main goal is to diffuse art and culture around the world through culture exchange in collaboration with other centers around the world.

This is the first step for what will be a center for international exhibitions and cooperation. Plans are drawn for living spaces for invited international artists as well as a cultural café, a music room and a video room.

The project is being solely financed by sales of the artist’s work.

Nicolas Herrera
Ibarra, Ecuador
Web: www.nicolasherrera.com

Paul Torres. Clubbing, Oil on Panel, 8.5 x 11, 2009.

The Alternative Cafe Gallery presents a group show featuring four natural born virtuoso artists: Adam Flores, Paul Torres, Mitsy Avila Ovalles and Carlos Villas. The show has many affordable works for the masses in unique styles, rich narratives, and bold techniques. Available for purchase online or direct from the gallery.

Hours:
Monday: 10-4, Tuesday: 10-4, Wednesday: 10-4, Thursday: 10-4, Friday: 10-4, & Saturday: 12-3

The Alternative Cafe
1230 Fremont Blvd
Seaside, Ca 93955
831-583-0913
www.thealternativecafe.com

George Comer. 2009.

Opening Reception: Saturday, June 27, 2009, 7-9pm

Evolving from his earlier work in watercolor, landscape design, and ceramics, Comer’s thick-textured abstraction is predominantly emotional in spirit. While his fluid painting renews the eruptive fervor of abstract expressionist method and its restless questing for a higher, greater truth, the violence that manifests in Comer’s art is not the violence of his soul but the violence of the earth… the violence of rebirth. Comer’s work relies primarily on texture and color to relay his thoughts. The artist describes the paintings as “excavated artifacts from my subconscious.”

Inspired by nature, the Riverside-based artist works mostly outdoors, letting natural elements assist. Comer prefers to work “primarily on the ground, to be more physically and psychologically connected to the paintings.” Comer’s unconventional method also includes the use of assorted materials such as glass, sand, enamel, and coffee grounds. These artistic recipes result in Comer’s personalized style of thick, raw, textural abstractions.

George Comer: A Ten-Year Retrospective results from the artist’s receiving Best in Show and Viewer’s Choice awards in the Riverside Art Museum’s 2008 Members Exhibition. Long active in the Inland Empire cultural community, Comer was included in RAM’s groundbreaking 2005-6 exhibition, Flow.

Riverside Art Museum
3425 Mission Inn Ave.
Riverside CA 92501
Phone: 951-684-7111
www.riversideartmuseum.org

Steve Lambert. Look Way, Signage (installation detail), 2009.

In Everything You Want, Right Now, by renowned artist-activist-provocateur Steve Lambert can be viewed at the Charlie James Gallery until July 11th, 2009. You may have seen him interviewed on CNN, or listened to him on NPR. Lambert’s work operates in popular culture, using everyday language and humor to convey ideas that tend to subvert and expand the worlds of art, technology, and the media. In the course of his work, Lambert has worked with volunteers to close every McDonald’s in Manhattan; he renamed a street in San Francisco from Bush Street to Puppet Street, and replaced advertising on the internet with curated art images.

In Everything You Want, Right Now, Lambert takes on the vernacular of commercial signage, with a regional emphasis unique to Los Angeles. Visually, he is interested in what makes certain styles of signage feel so innately familiar, and examines the methods employed that grab our attention. Lambert investigates the numerous emotional promises that inhere in commercial advertising, promises that may excite or reassure us, while remaining ultimately undelivered.

Steve Lambert is the founder of the Anti-Advertising Agency and the lead developer of Add-Art (a Firefox add-on that replaces online advertising with curated art images). He has collaborated with numerous artists including the Graffiti Research Lab, Packard Jennings, and the Yes Men. Steve’s projects and art works have won awards from Lower East Side Print Shop, Rhizome/The New Museum, Turbulence, the Creative Work Fund, Adbusters Media Foundation, the California Arts Council, and others. His work has been shown at various galleries, art spaces, and museums both nationally and internationally, and was recently collected by the Library of Congress.

Charlie James Gallery
975 Chung King Road
Los Angeles, CA 90012
213-687-0844
www.cjamesgallery.com

Katie Elizabeth Brown. Sacred Tree 2, 2009.

Opening Reception:
Saturday, July 11, 2009 from 7-11 pm

The Yoruba religious beliefs and practices originated in Africa in Nigeria and Benin. This is an ancient culture thousands of years old. Brought to the New World through slavery, it gave birth to Santeria in Cuba. Because of religious persecution, the Yoruba syncretised their religion with Catholicism to form what is now known as Santeria.

Avenue 50 Studio, Inc.
a 501(c)(3) non-profit art gallery
131 North Avenue 50
Highland Park, CA 90042

323-258-1435

http://www.avenue50studio.com

Marisa Murrow. Let’s Play, 2009.

Marisa Murrow was born in Los Angeles. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2000 from the Rhode Island School of Design. Shortly after graduation Murrow embarked on a trip throughout the world visiting Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Nepal, Europe, Africa and India. A traveler in her place of origin, Murrow collects visual information on site, producing small, intimate landscape paintings of trailer parks, swimming pools and the Southern California coastline. This body of work contains colors and light that are so specific to Los Angeles, they could be from nowhere else.

Murrow has exhibited her work at the California Heritage Museum, the McLean Gallery, Schomberg Gallery, Bergamot Station, LA Design Center, LACMA Rental Gallery, The Korean Cultural Center, Los Angeles Municipal Gallery, The Red House Gallery, the Folk Art Museum, Los Angeles, Gallery 825, Topo Ranch, Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery and San Diego Art Institute, The Museum of the Living Artist, San Diego.

Join them for a wine tasting and enjoy Murrow’s work from June 1-July 31 at the Carina Cellars Tasting Room, 2900 Grand Avenue in Los Olivos. For more information check out www.carinacellars.com or call the tasting room at (805) 688-2459.

Opening Reception: June 16, 8pm - 10pm
featuring the participatory performance
Are You Happy To See Me?

The banana is ubiquitous in life - both as a food staple in grocery stores and as the supremely seductive fruit used in advertising. LACE (Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions) presents a solo show by an artist collective called Fallen Fruit: David Burns, Matias Viegener, and Austin Young. Their recent visit to Colombia inspired a series of photographs, video installations, and interviews (in spanish) exploring the social, political, and pop culture history of the banana.

The title for the show comes from the United Fruit Company, a former Chiquita banana plantation that still exists today. The corporation had been notoriously labeled for its corruption and ruthless exploitation of workers. This turbulent history lead to the Banana Massacre of 1928, this show has an interesting reference on history with a window into the current climate that exists today.

In addition to this exhibition will be a series of events, you can find out more by calling the gallery.

LACE is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit gallery that relies on the generous support of its members, private donors, foundations, and visitors.

LACE (Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions)
6522 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90028
www.welcomeplace.org

Robert Quijada. Keith Haring Steps Out, 53×24x12, Mixed media.

“My show is a tribute and celebration of iconic subjects
bringing together my imagination with their presence and
talent to create interactive works of art.”
- Robert Quijada

Born near Hollywood studios during the World War II era, Robert Quijada’s unique style of folk art was influenced by Hollywood’s cinema and art culture. Quijada’s formal training in Costume and Fashion Design at Otis Art Institute and Chouinard Art Institute, lead to combining textile design into figurative subject matter. After serving for the United States Army, he moved to New York where he pursued a career in commercial art, specifically advertising and textile design. Quijada eventually left his path as a commercial artist to pursue fine art as a career and continued to display his art in galleries and museums. The exhibition, “ICONS” featuring his latest work will be displayed from June 6, 2009 to June 28, 2009.

Quijada’s artwork and exhibitions have been reviewed in publications such as: The New York Times, The Baltimore Sun, Diario de Ibiza, The Christian Science Monitor, La Opinión, and Artillery Magazine.

METRO Gallery
Contemporary Fine Arts
www.metrogallery.org
323-663-2787

Artists: Jaime “Germs” Zacarias (Left) and Lola Ramon (right)

Mat Gleason curates Locals Only, an exhibition that embodies a group show expressing the true diversity of the Southern California art world, at LOOK Gallery in Los Angeles, June 11 to July 11, 2009. The participating artists’ styles run the gamut of art world labels, from so-called “street art” to “museum-level” abstraction. In Locals Only, labels are tossed aside and artists are hand-picked for their work’s transcendent ability to encompass the Southern California spirit in its multifarious forms.

Exhibiting artists:
Oliver Arms
Roy Thurston
Linda Arreola
Stephanie Mercado
Jaime “GERMS” Zacarias
Eric Zammitt
Carolin Peters
Lola Ramona
Tim Youd

A series of events will take place throughout the run of the exhibition.

LOOK Gallery
1933 S. Broadway, Suite 111
Los Angeles, CA 90007
213-748-1113
www.LookArtists.net