ART BLOG
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ARTICLES FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY 2009
Contributing Bloggers: John Harbinger Jr.and David Harbrenig
How are we doing so far?
Thanks to all the artists, photographers and sculptors who have joined artlanow during the first two months since we went online. We have had some very nice compliments and good feedback from you so far. We do our best to ‘curate’ your webpages so that your art is exhibited in the best format possible. We hope that you’ll encourage your artist friends to join with us to build artlanow as quickly as possible into the best and largest website representing the great art work of the Los Angeles art community.
An exhibition of Los Angeles Mural Art
The artlanow team caught the tail end of a photo-documentary project exhibition at the Cal State Fine Arts Gallery showing 32 Los Angeles Murals. The show, featuring 32 out of 150 murals that adorn the streets, buildings, bridges and alleys of Los Angeles was researched by 15 graduate students in Art History at Cal State L.A. The project is part of their culminating class project.
So, if you did get to see it, then you know that you don’t have to drive the streets of L.A. to get a good look at selection of the fantastic mural artwork that is out there. The work presented in the show is top notch and gives a good indication of how much diversity there is in the local art mural scene.
Art history professor Manuel Aquilar-Moreno sums up the perspective by writing that ”The Murals represent an array of cultures and ethnicities in Los Angeles, including African American, Latino, Chinese, Korean, Anglo American and Filipino. The images in their murals show a legion of contrasting themes and attitudes about every aspect of life and society. Street and public art provides an opportunity for self expression and for the self-definition of communities who are too often forgotten in our main cultural venues.”
As a bonus we got to see, on our way back, Los Angeles mural artist Ricardo Mendoza working on a new three part mural called “Fluid City Rising” that he and his buddies are painting on a cul-de-sac in Los Feliz. Perhaps this new work will be in next year’s grad project if the idea continues.
John Baldessari & Yoko Ono win Awards
Los Angeles Artists, John Baldessari and Yoko Ono will receive Golden Lions Awards for Lifetime Achievement at this year's Venice Biennale to be held on June 6 this year. This year’s event marks the 53rd edition of the international contemporary art exhibition in Italy. When announcing their decision to honor these two LA residents with this award, the panel cited them as "two of the most important Artists of our time.”
Mr. Daniel Birnbaum, director of the Biennale, put out a statement saying that the Artists' "groundbreaking activities have opened new poetic, conceptual and social possibilities for Artists around the globe working in all media. They have shaped our understanding of art and its relationship to the world in which we live. Their work has revolutionized the language of Art and will remain a source of inspiration for generations to come."
John Baldessari is a native Californian who lives in Los Angeles. He has had, and continues to have, a huge influence as a conceptual Artist and teacher who combines images and text into astute and piquant commentaries about of the role of Art in the real world.
Yoko Ono, born in Japan, has been based in New York for many years, and retains a residence in Los Angeles. As an Artist she is known as a pioneering conceptualist and performance Artist, and has gained international recognition for her works championing world peace.
One man’s Art is another man’s trash
As part of the California Biennial and LAXART’s Public Art Initiative, a Sculpture by Los Angeles Sculptor Jedediah Caesar “Gleaners Stone” was installed on the north east corner of Washington Blvd. & Marcasel Ave in Culver City on January 23rd. The Sculpture whose creator has a reputation for cast resin works incorporating discarded artifacts retrieved from trash disposal etc. was “installed” by city workers in the middle of the sidewalk at the location and was supposed to be on view until the end of Spring. The theme behind this latest Arts program was “to question the current contexts for the exhibition of Art in the public realm.”
Culver City is not just art friendly but it is also pedestrian friendly, a combination that has led to an embarrassing incident. A nearby resident, who mistook the sculpture for trash called the city and complained of the nuisance on the sidewalk. Street maintenance workers were sent to remove and dispose of the “trash”.
Luckily the error was detected in time and “Gleaners Stone”, a 92 X 44 X 30 inch rectangular sculpture was found and replaced during February in its designated location.
The guest curator for the California Biennial, who was responsible for the original placing noted that “there was a misconception as to what the object is. The point of the off-site projects is for local people to see Art and interact with it.”
We are sure that her idea of interacting did not include sending it off to the junk yard. As far as the neighbor and the street maintenance crew were concerned “if it was junk –then it is still junk.” To rephrase: One man’s trash is another man’s art is another man’s trash.
The Spring Art Show “The Affaire in the Gardens” for Artists in Los Angeles
Artists in Los Angeles have until February 23rd to submit an application to exhibit their work in the “Affaire in the Gardens” that will be held this year over the weekend of May 16th & 17th. The open air art show is organized twice a year in the Spring and the Fall and occupies the lawns alongside Santa Monica Boulevard in Beverly Hills. Attendance at previous shows has always been strong and the shows have proved themselves to be good venues for presenting your Art work and for generating sales. Approximately 250 spaces (booths) are available for rent during the weekend and the show is open to Artists, Sculptors, Photographers and Artisans. There is a very intense demand for exhibition space at these events so get your applications in on time.
For more information go to www.beverlyhills.org/attractions/affaire
Should you sell your work framed or not?
The purpose of a frame is to enhance the beauty of an Artwork. Selecting the right frame can do this very well, while selecting the wrong one can have the reverse effect. A frame that does not ‘match’ the work detracts from its overall beauty and renders it less attractive.This is all very basic stuff; we all understand it, and yet it is surprising how often Artists insist on framing their own works- with the most amazingly inappropriate mats and frames.
An important tip, when considering framing your work, is not to trust only your own judgment. There are a lot of professionals out there who have developed a good ‘eye’ from years of experience. They know how to co-ordinate the colors and dimensions of a frame that is truly going to add something to the final presentation of your work. Work with a professional but, you the Artist, should be satisfied with his/her input.
First, some Galleries will only except work for exhibition if it is framed, so it is wise to keep a proportion of your work ready framed if you want to present it, in the best light possible, to Gallery owners.
Secondly, remember a frame does not always contribute. If you truly believe after trying to match a frame to your work that the ultimate goal has not been achieved, then leave it. This happens most often with Abstract works, where only the most minimalistic type of framing lends itself to ‘improving’ the final presentation. Most Gallery owners and Museums, nowadays, show Abstract work without framing. Abstract Artists have adapted to this situation by finishing the sides of the canvas so that no rough edges are exposed that would, otherwise, need to be concealed by ‘un-necessary’ framing.
When it comes to direct selling, many buyers will be more susceptible to buying a work of Art that has been well (matted) framed in a manner that really enhances the Painting. Of course, the cost of the framing has to be included in the pricing but Artists are often able to obtain very advantageous discounts from professional framers to whom they give constant work. In these tough economic times, talk to the framers about getting better deals –they need your work more than ever and will be prepared to discuss terms.
So, the answer to the question –framed or not?- comes down to the individual work. Sorry, we can’t help you more……
The Triforium. Public Sculpture in Los Angeles
You see it every day and you never really know what it is……
One of the most impressive and well-known public sculptures in downtown Los Angeles is the Triforium, a 60 ton, six storey high structure located in the Fletcher Bowron Square at the intersection of Temple and Main. The sculpture is the creation of Joseph Young and was commissioned and installed in 1975 at a cost of $925,000. Since its original conception the sculpture has undergone some modifications. The original plan by Joseph Young called for the work to be kinetic, using motion sensors and a computer controlled system to detect and translate the movements of pedestrians into patterns of light and sound. These would then be displayed by the prisms and carillons built into the sculpture.
The structure of the sculpture is circular. Three two-legged concrete pillars thrust skyward, supporting banks of multi-colored Venetian glass prisms. There are, in fact, 1494 prisms as well as electronic glass bell carillons that can play up to 80 notes. The carillons were designed so that they could be played manually on special occasions or by computer generated impulses. (Back in the 80’s, master musician and composer John Cage celebrated his 70th birthday by composing and playing a piece here.)
Between the time of its installation and its eventual restoration in 2006, the Triforium went through a time of neglect and fell into total disrepair. The lighting and sound no longer functioned and even the reflective pool upon which the structure stands began to leak.
The sculpture has always generated a lot of public interest – some enthusiastic and some derogatory. Over the years some influential people have even wanted to replace it with a more easily maintained sculpture.
The Los Angeles Times, in a December 2006 article concerning the City’s decision to restore the work and upgrade the in-built technology, commented that the sculpture had acquired quite a few nicknames among the locals during the years of neglect- (tri-foolery, kitsch 22 & Joe’s space launch).
Since the total makeover in 2006 the lights of the Triforium are lit up daily, in early morning from about 6-8am and, again in the evening from 6-8pm. The recently restored speaker systems, in the incorporated sound system are also functioning again.
When Joseph Young designed the Triforium he said “the sound and light sculpture will outlast its critics.” Fortunately history will prove him right - and we are pleased that the Triforium is still there, back to its true glory, to brighten our day as we walk by.
From Acrylics & Oils to Clay, Stone & Bronze; Adding the 3rd Dimension.
We all have our preferences and our own special talents. However, once we have adopted, as our own, one form of art doesn’t mean that we cannot explore other completely different realms of expressions.
For the painters, sketchers, photographers and digital artists, who have wondered about how get their hands into sculpture, here is some information about some courses and programs available.
For the young and the old, USC offers courses at the University Park Campus ranging from beginners through to advanced. They have courses in modeling and mold making for clay and plaster, wood sculpture techniques, and classes for metal sculpture to learn welding, forging and casting. For larger sculptures there are also classes that teach construction techniques (for large public installations etc.). Check out www.uscsculpture.com/courses.php
Cal State offers similar courses and we recommend that you contact them at the Fine Arts Building on their campus or go to their website at www.calstatela.edu for more information.
Over in Culver city there is the Teale Street Gallery that has been around for 30 years. It is a 4000 sq. foot facility housing a clay studio classroom, a stone carving yard, a common workspace, and private artists’ studio spaces. The instructors teach the fundamentals of traditional figure sculpture – anatomy, proportion and structure, and students are encouraged to realize their own projects. Sculptors, already accomplished in some techniques can learn new ones or use the studio’s facilities to carry out specific projects by renting private spaces. The instructors at Teale have some very impressive CV’s in their individual areas of artistic accomplishments. Check out the class schedules at (www.tealestreetsculpturestudio.com)
For Ceramics and Pottery try the Berman School of Ceramics that was founded 33 years on Cahuenga over in the valley. The school offers courses from beginner level up to refining techniques for accomplished professionals. The school is completely equipped with lots of potter’s wheels, gas kilns (of all sizes), electric kilns, a Raku kiln, slab rollers, an extruder and spray equipment. All you ever wanted to know about the different possibilities of working in clay can be learned here under the tutelage of experienced instructors who are themselves, professional artists. www.bermanceramicarts.com
The Pasadena Press & Local Art news
For the past few months a 60’ X 30’ installation of artlanow member Vahe Bedrosian’s work “Kimiya The Wind” has adorned the south side of the building at 87 N. Raymond Ave. in old town Pasadena. The idea behind the installation was an initiative by local business and property owners to promote public awareness of local artists by jointly funding exhibitions of their work in the old town area. The abstract on show at the moment by Vahe Bedrosian, an architect by profession, has attracted an enthusiastic response from passersby, and it is to be hoped that future projects will find similar funding to continue this new innovative idea, bringing local art to the public’s attention.
Discussion the issue with Vahe Bedrosian the artlanow team learned that the local Pasadena press has not published any announcement of the installation and the idea behind it –despite repeated requests to do so. Given that this is not a purely private matter, but a gesture by local business and property owners to aid local artists we’d would have thought that there was sufficient reason to publish details about it. It is doubtful that the sponsors of this first initiative will be encouraged to pursue further projects if they see that even the local media show no interest in their ideas.
Wake up Pasadena news reporters, lest this beautiful artwork be not only the first, but also the last of what is certainly a fantastic new way to bring local artists work in to the streets for public viewing.
Digital Art –opportunities nearby
Digital art defines the contemporary. At artlanow we try to give our members informative and usual information about opportunities and events in the greater Los Angeles area that can help them promote their Art. Many of our members dedicate themselves to digital imagery and we’d like to bring to their attention The Los Angeles Center For Digital Art, located 107 W. 5th Street in downtown LA (CA90013). The LACDA is dedicated to the propagation of all forms of Digital Art, including new media, Digital video Art, net Art, Digital Sculpture, interactive multimedia, and the vast panorama of hybrid forms of Art and technology that reflect this time in our culture. The Gallery is committed to supporting local, international, emerging and established Artists through a schedule of exhibits and competitions, and the production of editions of wide format archival prints. Artists are invited to collaborate in the production of Digital Artworks in the Studio Gallery. The LACDA is also involved in organizing digital exhibits at institutions and festivals outside of the LACDA gallery schedule.
Every year for 50 years the L.A. Municipal Gallery has held its "Open Call" exhibit where any Artist can show up with their Art and an entry fee (of about $20-$30, used to benefit gallery programs) and the piece is shown. The Los Angeles Center For Digital Art has also launched an experiment of the same nature where the Artists upload images that are printed and hung by the Gallery. Hundreds of works are displayed in a grid like installation (reminiscent of postcard art shows of the 1980's) and every work submitted is exhibited.
The idea is that the Exhibit represents a snapshot of a current moment in Art History when Digital Imaging has reached the hands of the many. It reflects an an age where recording culture belongs to Photo-Artists and image makers around the globe.
Last year’s show, for example, was mounted in their 1,200 foot storefront Gallery in the bourgeoning Downtown Arts district in the revitalized historic core of Los Angeles. The opening reception coincided with one the Downtown Art Walks, attracting over 2,000 people.
Take note, too, of this exciting opportunity and check out the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery’s yearly “Open Call” to local Artists. The Municipal Gallery is part of the LA Department of Cultural Affairs and can be contacted at 323 644 6269.
Artist & sponsor dispute nudes in Long Beach art display (LA Times 02-10-09)
In a trendy main thoroughfare in downtown Long Beach, where thousands pass by each day, a heated debate has erupted concerning two Abstract Nudes shown in a public exhibition sponsored by Phantom Galleries L.A., a for-profit community outreach program specializing in adapting vacant buildings into temporary art displays.
The two works are part of a series of 70 that explore human form and emotions. The dispute between the executive producer of the exhibition, Liza Simone and the Artist, who goes by the name Christiana, is about the right of the sponsor to censor “inappropriate, offensive Artwork” and the right of the Artist to protect Artistic freedom of expression. The ‘offending’ works, which are Abstract in nature, depict (I quote the LA Times article) “bright orange and blue lop-sided breasts” and, according to the judgment of Ms. Simone should also not be included in the show because they are “not of good quality’.
The sponsors are worried that funding for future projects will be harmed if the two offending works are not removed. The Artist, who is a physical trainer and life long artist living in Laguna Beach, is outraged that her depictions of frontal nudity and breast should even be considered racy. She is standing her ground and rejecting the organizers removal. “Mastering depictions of nude human figures is a threshold for an Artist. My Art is not offensive and their comments hurt”.
Phantom Galleries curator Christine Faraci has acknowledged that she was disappointed that Christiana’s paintings were considered inappropriate, given that many other paintings in the exhibition depict female nudes from the back. “To distinguish the appropriateness of one part of the body against another was not my decision, but the sponsors.” It was added that show producer Liza Simone had been very upfront with participating Artists that certain types of work would not be acceptable for such a public viewing space.
So the eternal debate about what constitutes art goes on - just as it should. As it has been said “One man’s art is another man trash. Where one see’s beauty another sees mud and chaos, each to his own vision of the world.
Los Angeles Graffiti Art
Art in Los Angeles can be seen everywhere –literally. The streets of Los Angeles are decorated with Graffiti art that are no longer base territorial proclamations of local gangs or statements of simple presence. Los Angeles Graffiti is prolific and among the most creative in the world and there are some Artistic Gems out there that demand our attention, and need to be preserved. Some of the Murals are, in content and execution, more stunning and emotive than some of the Contemporary works being exhibited in Galleries and Museums.
Some might call it a nuisance, a desecration of property or an eyesore. The less condemning refer to it as ‘Street Art’. No matter what you might think of it, Graffiti Art in Los Angeles it is here to stay, and young emerging Artists in the metropolitan area are proclaiming themselves to the world through it.
Graffiti Art has become the Art of the social message. The message is for all to see, since it is written on the sidewalk, on the bridge, the freeway or the side of a building; anywhere that is visible to passersby.
The messages prick our social conscience about the problems in the world about us; poverty, global warming, the ecology, the urban environment, integration and lack of tolerance. We all know that the problems are there, but we have pushed them to the back of our own personal agendas. The Graffiti Artists want to keep our awareness focused and sharp. Their work shouts at us from the walls to wake up and feel the pain in the world in a way, so evident, so visible, that we are reminded as we walk the streets.
Museums and Galleries choose Artworks that they believe represent the best of the genre, therefore limiting the public viewing to only the ‘best.’ Street Art is different. We, the public get to see the good, the bad and the downright ugly. But, the truth is, within the community of Graffiti Artists, there is a natural selection process evolving. The good Artists are recognized by their peers, respected for their work, and seem to get the best positions.
Unfortunately, Graffiti painted on private or public property is usually done without the owners’ consent or the proper city permits. The Los Angeles Board of Public Works has to set aside a part of its yearly budget for cleaning up Graffiti and it considers the graffiti artists as a public nuisance – as criminals. Unfortunately, too, the City Board does not distinguish between “taggers”, who are merely leaving a sign or a slogan on any available surface, and the real Graffiti Artists who are genuinely talented and see this as a truly creative way of Artistic expression. Cleaning up means cleaning it all up!
Some members of city councils have recognized the value of exceptional works of Graffiti done over the past decade, and are advocating that the city embrace this Art form more openly and commission more works for public property. Art, by nature should be in the public forum, and what better place than on the outside walls of public buildings. By commissioning more work, in a controlled manner, it is also possible that the messages of the Graffiti Artists will still be around for future generations to see. It is, perhaps, tragic that some of these stunning Murals, painted in the dead of night, as rapidly as possible in order to avert detection, and with no preparatory surface work will deteriorate quickly and be lost for ever.
Local Artist making headlines worldwide.
The Artlanow team was at the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles for the last weekend of a show called “Oranges and Sardines” featuring work by six American contemporary Abstract Painters who are having a significant impact in the Art World. Mark Grotjahn, born in Pasadena in 1968 and still working in Los Angeles, is one of the six. He has achieved success worldwide with exhibitions at the Saatchi Gallery and the Gagosian Gallery. The work we saw was simple, elegant, monochromatic, and stunning! He often tempers his Canvas with scratches and markings that attest to the contingencies of process in what are, otherwise, very controlled compositions. His works are to be found in the Museum of Modern Art, New York, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, the Kunst Museum, Thon, Switzerland and the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam. Mark got his MFA from UC Berkeley and his BFA from the University of Colorado. We look forward to seeing more of his Art and to seeing more Los Angeles Artists exhibiting in the top venues.
Art Walks in Los Angeles and exhibitions and events - February
Some of you have surely taken part in the regular Art Walks that are organized all over Los Angeles and the surrounding areas. They are fun, very informative and you get to see the latest exhibitions while visiting clusters of galleries that are open –all at the same time. No “By appointment” notices on the door!
There is a full calendar of openings and special events during February 2009 that you might like to take note of… Be sure to get location details and information about each occasion by visiting the individual Gallery’s website. You can find them by searching through the artlanow gallery directory.
On Sunday Feb 1st visit the Artcore Brewery Annex (1pm -3pm) and move onto the Artcore Downtown (3pm – 5pm)
Over in Pasadena there is Project 210 which is open from 4pm-7pm.
Thursday 5th an opening at Carmichael in West Hollywood and an Art Walk called San Pedro First Thursday (6-9pm) visiting The Loft, Medea, Studio345 and Studio 478.
There’s also the Laguna Beach First Thursday (6-9pm) where you can take in JoAnne Artman, Peter Blake, Sue Greenwood, Laguna Art Museum, Laguna College, Marion Meyer and Rohrer.
Friday 6th Check out La Luz de Jesus Gallery in Silver Lake (8-11pm) and an exhibition at the Creative Arts Center in the Valley (7-9pm)
Saturday 7th there are openings at the following Galleries. Check out there websites for details. Jack Rutberg, West Hollywood (5-8pm), Art Dimensions, West LA (5-8pm), Rosamund Felson, Santa Monica, TAG Santa Monica (5-8pm),
Thursday 12th Fellows of Contemporary Art, Chinatown (6-8pm).
On the Downtown Art Walk (12-9pm) visit Art Slave, City Center, Dalessio, Downtown Gallery, El Nopal Press gallery, Crewcrest, G727, Bert green, M.J. Higgins, The Hive, Infusion, Katalyst, L.A. Artcore, L.A. Center for Digital Art, MOCA, MONA, Morono Kiang, Niche LA, Pharmaka, PYO, Julie Rico, Spring Art Collective and Phyliss Stein.
Friday 13th Check out Thinkspace in Siver Lake (7-11pm) and DDR Projects in Long Beach.
Saturday 14th There are Openings and special events at the following venues:
Steve Turner in West Hollywood (6-8pm), Daniel Weinberg also in West Hollywood (6-8pm), FIG, Santa Monica (4-6pm), Peres Project, Culver City (6-8pm), Billy Shire, Culver City (7-10pm), Western Project, Culver City (5-8pm), Charles James, Chinatown (6-9pm), CSU Northridge in the Valley (1-4pm).
There’s the Pomona Art Colony Second Saturday (6-9pm) where you can take in the American Museum of Ceramic Arts, Armstrong’s, Bunny Gunner, Cal Poly Pomona Downtown Art Center, dba256, 57 Underground, the Latino Art Museum, the SCA Project and Soho Gallery (6-10pm).
Sunday 15th Canvas, West Side (2-5pm) and on the same day there’s Barnsdall Park, Hollywood (2-5pm).
Wednesday 18th There’s something going on at L.A. Valley College, in the Valley (7-9pm) and if you’re in Orange County, check out Santa Ana College (6-9pm).
Thursday 19th Pacific Asian Museum in Pasadena (6-9pm)
Saturday 21st Miracle Mile Art Walk where numerous galleries will welcome you: (check out details on the web).
All the following galleries, in Culver City or W. Hollywood, will be pleased to receive you at their receptions and events: DNJ, West Hollywood (6-8pm), Lawrence Asher, West Hollywood (7-10pm), George Billis, Culver City (6-8pm), Blum & Poe, Culver City (6-8pm), Honor Fraser, Culver City (6-8pm), JK Gallery, Culver City (6-8pm), LA Contemporary, Culver City (6-8pm), Frank Lloyd, Santa Monica (5-7pm), Walter Maciel, Culver City (6-8pm), Yaylor De Cordoba, Culver City (6-8pm).
Other places of interest on this day: Sister, Chinatown (6-9pm)/
Brand Library, Northeast LA (5-8pm).
Claremont Museum, Claremont (7pm).
Sunday 22nd Fowler Museum (12-5pm)
L.A. Artcore Brewery Annex, Downtown LA (1-3pm)
Tuesday 24th El Camino College, South Bay (7-9pm)
Thursday 26th Crossroads, Santa Monica (6-8pm)
LA Louver, Venice (6-8pm), Bert Green, Downtown LA (5:30-8:30pm), LA Center for Digital Art, Downtown. (5:30-8:30pm) and also Pharmaka, Downtown (5:30-8:30).
Friday 27th Korean Cultural Center, West Hollywood (7-9pm), Santa Monica College, Santa Monica (6-9pm).
Saturday 28th Visit the Ruth Bachofner Gallery in Santa Monica (5-7pm), Robert Berman, Santa Monica (7-9pm), Cardwell Jimmerson, Culver City (6-8pm), Kinsey-DesForges, Culver City (6-9pm), Craig Krull, Santa Monica (4-6pm), Angels gate, San Pedro (2-4pm) and PS Zask, South Bay (3-6pm).
California’s love affair with ‘plein air’ painting
California Artists and California Art Collectors have been enthusiasts of the Plein Air Painting genre since the first California Artists set out depict the beautiful local landscapes in a style influenced by the French Impressionists.
One of the great, and relatively unknown, masters of the California Plein Air school was undoubtedly William Wendt whose flawless brushwork and detail of form is remarkable. He selected every composition with utmost care and his colors radiate light. His paintings reveal mastery of technique but, beyond what must be admired as skillful craftsmanship, the viewer is attracted by a spirituality that is embodied in the calm serenity of his eucalyptus groves, sun drenched pastures and his undulating sand dunes.
Since the days when he painted, countless other California Artists have been captured by their own spiritual encounters with the outstanding beauty of the states landscapes and rendered their own moments of peace and tranquility onto canvas.
Thru Jan 2009 until February 8 the Laguna Art Museum is presenting 61 of his paintings show entitled ‘The Life & Times of William Wendt.’
At a time when the World of Art was being rocked by new waves of Experimental Art, such as Cubism, Geometric Abstracts and the different types of Expressionism William Wendt remained a Llandscape Artist.
His work differs from the French Impressionists in that his brushwork is not broken, the colors not vaporous and there is no evidence of the tumultuous in his scenes. Wendt’s style is crisp and linear and above all, the grandeur of nature is implied in the deep calm with which his paintings are imbued. There is an element of the divine in his chosen vistas.
For California Plein Air lovers this show is well worth a visit.
Acrylic painting – A few pointers
More and more Artists are discovering the advantages of using Acrylic Paints over Oils or Watercolors. A review of many online gallery websites shows that ‘acrylic paintings for sale’ outnumber the works in other media.
Young Artists, especially, have taken to Acrylics because of the rapidity with which it allows them to create and the new dimensions of color that the medium provides.
Acrylics are very versatile. They are fast drying and can be applied directly from the tube like Oils or thinned with water and used like Watercolors.
Before commencing a canvas with Acrylics, make sure that the canvas is primed with a gesso that is suitable for both Acrylic and Oil painting. This is almost always the case but it is not 100% - so it’s worth checking.
Acrylics dry fast so don’t waste paint by squeezing from the tube more than you are going to need. If you’re using a plastic or wood palette invest in a spray bottle so that you can spray a fine mist over the paint at regular intervals in order to keep it moist.
It is very helpful to keep a paper towel or cloth next to your water jar so that you can wipe your brushes after rinsing. This stops unwanted water dripping down the ferrule (the indentation on the metal brush ring) onto your painting and making blotches.
Acrylics, if applied thickly, are opaque but when diluted they can have the same transparency as Watercolor and be used for airbrushing.
There is one distinctive difference, however; when an Acrylic wash dries –it is permanent, and insoluble, and unlike a Watercolor wash it can be over-painted without fear of distorting the existing wash. The colors of subsequent washes create an optical mélange with the preceding layers. A glaze effect similar to that achieved with Watercolor can be lifted out using water and a cloth but the best way to obtain a transparent glaze is through a build up of layers of paint. A heavy layer will produce a glossy effect.
There are other diluents available at the art stores to mix with the color to increase the flow without diminishing the color strength.
Since Acrylics dry so rapidly, you have to work quickly to blend colors. If you’re working on paper, a good trick is to lightly dampen the paper with a fine film of water. This will retard the drying time allowing you to obtain the results to desire.
Masking tapes can be put on, and removed from acrylics quite safely if the surface is dry. Using tapes allows you to get those perfectly straight lines and hard edges. Check that the edges of the tape are stuck firmly and don’t apply the paint too thickly otherwise you’ll won’t get a clean sharp clean line when you lift the tape.
Masking fluid can be used with acrylic washes in the same way as with watercolors. Make sure to thoroughly clean brushes used for applying the masking fluid otherwise it is almost impossible to clean out once it’s dried. Good old fashioned washing up liquid does the job quite well.
Although glue is more effective, some Artists use thick layers of Acrylic paint as a substitute glue for Collage work. Providing the item to be stuck is not too heavy it usually works.
New Galleries representing emerging Los Angeles Artists
5 fairly recent new Galleries have opened in the Fairfax/Melrose/Bevelry Blvd. area showing works by young emerging Artists from the local scene. Check out these new locations and give them your support. On N. Fairfax between Melrose & Beverly there is the Norm Maxwell Studio Gallery that has recently relocated from Sawtelle Blvd in Culver City. The owner Norm Maxwell is showing his own work alongside selected works by other up-and-coming artists. Right next door you’ll find the Blitzstein Museum of Art whose walls are filled with an eclectic mix of figurative abstracts and, two doors along, check out the Solid Gallery One, doubling as an exhibition space for fine art and where you can get a really cool Art Tattoo if the mood takes you. Just around the corner along Beverly at number 7673 there is Jordan’s, a great space that is attracting a lot of attention and great work by young LA artists. Walk up towards Melrose and you’ll come across Heavyweight on the corner of Spaulding and Melrose Ave. This small space is creating a big buzz in the trendy Melrose area. It is nice to see that the old established antiques & Art Galleries that once flourished along Melrose Ave. at Melrose Place, (and have quietly relocated), are being replaced by a younger generation with new concepts and new ideas.
Optimization of www.artlanow.com : Optimization of your own website
Many Artists set up their own website as a way to have their portfolio readily assessable to Gallery owners, curators, prospective buyers and to allow the public at large to view their work.
Setting up a personal website is a good step in the right direction. However, once the site is established, how do you get visitors to flock to see it? The secret to achieving this is search engine optimization.
Search engines are all about looking for keywords, so the all important thing to remember especially when preparing a website, whose primary purpose is to show artwork images, is that search engines like Google, Yahoo and MSN look for text- not pictures. For the search engine, page content is readable text only.
If you have asked a company or a friend to set up your website, or made it yourself, make sure to include in it some of the fundamentals necessary for the website to be picked out and found by the search engines. Keywords are essential.
Make sure your site has meta-tags and titles, title and description tags in the HTML that include keywords such as Artist, Art for Sale, Los Angeles Artist, Oil Painting for Sale, Landscape Paintings for Sale, Art for Sale, etc. etc. When the search bots sent out by the search engines to index websites get to your homepage they’ll be able to read them and you’ll be indexed in their directories. Choosing the right keywords so that the directories will channel traffic to your site is extremely important and there are even websites that provide statistical information about appropriate keyword selection.
Another interesting point is that search engines take note of bold and italic words so this can be an additional aide worth exploiting.
For those of you who’d like to optimize their own websites there are loads of books available giving advice and, on the internet you’ll find companies that will optimize for a fee. Without going into complicated details, and assuming that you are a little computer savvy, there are a few simple ways that you can optimize your own website so it will begin to show up in keyword searches and not only when your exact www domain name is typed in.
1) Make sure your website is in the Google index which is the No. 1 search engine.
2) Tell everybody you know that your site is up and running. Get them to visit. It creates traffic to the site. (Traffic is recognized by search engines and helps determine placement.)
3) Request reciprocal links to websites of other Artists. Linking to a larger website like www.artlanow.com can increase the visibility of your own website. The content on collective websites like ours grows enormously with time and consequentially attract more attention.
4) Create a blog page so that written content is constantly added.
5) Promote something on your site that is featured in a much more visible (and well known website.)
6) Don’t use pointless flash animation on the front page – it might look cool but these animations not only slow down entry time to the site, but also don’t contain any useful text for indexing.
Good luck and remember; more exposure leads to more recognition, leads to more sales.