Current and New Art Exhibitions in Sonoma County, August 2014

Posted on August 5, 2014 by Satri Pencak

Art abounds in Sonoma County in summer, where inspired local artists work in a variety of media and genres. While navigating around the vineyards and rolling hills, along the scenic coast, and through the welcoming townships, be sure and stop in at some of the numerous art galleries, art centers, and museums to see a special art exhibition. Many wineries and eateries also have art on exhibit, where you can view fine art while enjoying great food and refreshments. Here are some exhibitions on view right now:
*** Designates an Opening Reception.

Arts Guild of Sonoma
August 1 through September 1, The August Show
*** Opening Reception, Friday, August 1, 6 to 8 p.m.
Featuring the sensory and emotional paintings of Peggie Winston, hand-built porcelain ceramics by Lyn Swan, along with artwork by other Guild artists.
140 E Napa St, Sonoma, 707-996-3115, artsguildofsonoma.org

Installation view of Transanimation at C14.

Installation view of Transanimation at C14.

C14 Contemporary Arts
Through September 14, Interior – Exterior: Transanimation
Artists Teresa Camozzi, Martha Channer, DebraLea Comstock, and Craig Mitchell create a site-specific installation that enables a powerful transformational experience for visitors. The immersive environment, with murals, paintings, sculpture, and mixed-media provides a catalyst for inner reflection and psychological realization.
6780 Depot St., Ste., 100, at The Barlow, Sebastopol, 707-827-3020, c14contemporaryarts.com

Calabi Gallery
Through August 31, 2014 Summer Selection
This exhibition includes a mixture of new work from gallery artists, new acquisitions and consignments of vintage works, and selections from the archives. The gallery typically features an eclectic collection of 19th to 21st-century art that includes paintings, sculptures, graphics, and photography.

August 2 through August 16, Descendants of Light: American Photographers of Jewish Ancestry
*** Opening and Artist’s Lecture, Saturday, August 2, 6 to 8:30 p.m.
A selected preview of photographs by Penny Wolin from her upcoming book that will feature memoirs and photographs of the most influential Jewish American photographers of the past and current century. Wolin will discuss the works of such photographers as Garry Winogrand, Annie Leibovitz, Bruce Davidson, Lauren Greenfield, and others.
456 Tenth St., Santa Rosa, 707-781-7070, www.calabigallery.com

Charles M. Schulz Museum
August 13 through December 7, Punchlines in Peanuts
This exhibition features the curator’s choice of 70 of the best punch lines in Peanuts. See if your all-time favorites are included in this installation of original comic strips.

Through November 2, Social Commentary
Schulz created Peanuts from the perspective of an informed observer. This exhibition highlights socially attuned Peanuts strips through original art, topical ephemera, and reaction letters.
2301 Hardies Lane, Santa Rosa, 707-579-4452, www.schulzmuseum.org

Christie Marks Fine Art Gallery
Through August 11, Alejandro Salazar: Selected Works 2011 – 2014
The exhibition explores several processes including mixed media on canvas, paper, cardboard, and glass. Salazar’s artistic voice is expressed in colors, shapes, and abstract figures that come from a deep passionate place. This work is fresh, visceral and immediate with a direct connection to emotion.

August 21 through September 29, Ben Lastufka: Incessant Beauty
*** Opening Reception, Saturday, August 23, 5 to 8 p.m.
Through paintings and a variety of media, Lastufka explores the physical evidence and natural processes of generation, erosion, and regeneration. “Conversation With the Artist”, Saturday, September 13 at 4 p.m.
322 Healdsburg Ave. 2nd Floor, Healdsburg, 707- 695-1011, www.christiemarksfineart.com

Chroma Gallery
Through August 3, The SOFA Show
Showcasing art, photography and crafts by 25 artists with studios in Santa Rosa’s SOFA Arts District. Encompassing the blocks along South A Street and Sebastopol Avenue, the SOFA district is home to 38 art studios and galleries, as well as restaurants, live theater, shops and cafes. SOFA’s Annual Open Studios Weekend is Saturday and Sunday, August 2 and 3, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

August 22 through September 23, Raptors Live Art
Wire sculptures and large Sumi-style paintings of live birds by Jonqui Albin demonstrate the thrill of working with active models in nature. The public is invited to weekly classes, demonstrations and performance art.
312 South A Street, Santa Rosa, 707-293-6051, www.chromagallery.net

Cloverdale Arts Alliance Gallery
Through September 18, Flourish
Group show with 10 artists, including Guest Artists, Drew Jackson, photography, Michele Hoting, jewelry, Susan Miron, fiber arts, Michael Risch, mixed media paintings, Resident Artists, Robin Burgert, Laura Paine Carr, Terry Holleman, Sharon Kozel, Paul Maurer, and oil paintings by Featured Resident Artist, Hanya Popova Parker.
204 N. Cloverdale Blvd., Cloverdale, 707-894-4410, www.cloverdaleartsalliance.org

Fulton X Gallery at Fulton Crossing
August 9 through September 28, Human | Nature
*** Opening Reception, Friday, August 8, 5 to 8 p.m.
The artwork in this group show reflects ideas and thoughts regarding humankind’s relationship to nature. Also showing, a solo exhibition of work by invited artist Michael Francis Ramos.
1200 River Road, Fulton, 707-331-4348, www.fultoncrossing.com

Painting by Sandra Rubin, at Graton Gallery.

Painting by Sandra Rubin, at Graton Gallery.

Graton Gallery
August 5 through September 21, 2014, Sandra Rubin: Teachers and Influences
*** Opening Reception, Saturday, August 9, 2 to 5 p.m.
Showing work by Sandra Rubin, Alan Azhderian, Alan Johnson, Lisa Beernsten, Maury Lapp, Gary Blackman, Sara Spaulding Phillips, Ron Cooper, Susan Proehl, Michael Coy, Carole Watanabe, and Guest Artists; Tim Hayworth, Steven Ashton-Justine Gotthart, and Florence Bass.
9048 Graton Road, Graton, 707-829-8912, www.gratongallery.com

Hammerfriar Gallery
Through September 7, Cry, Love Life
Artist Jenny Honnert Abell begins with old book covers then gathers bits of materials such as dryer lint, thread, and beads which she uses to create playful, satirical and poetic collages.
132 Mill Street, Ste.101, Healdsburg, 707-473-9600, www.hammerfriar.com

Healdsburg Center for the Arts
Through September 14, Clay & Glass 2014
Featuring the artwork of 16 superb artists who work in ceramics and glass. The work ranges from intricate constructions, sculptured figures, to decorated vessels, and includes fanciful as well as functional pieces.
130 Plaza St., Healdsburg, 707-431-1970, www.healdsburgcenterforthearts.com

Ice House Gallery
Through September 14, (n)collage
In conjunction with Petaluma Arts Center, this two-venue show features collage-work by mostly Bay Area artists.
IceHouse Gallery at Digital Grange Fine Art Services.
405 East D St., Studio B, Petaluma, 707-778-2238, www.icehousegallery.org

Local Color Gallery
August 2 through September 1, Profusion of Joyful Colors
*** Opening Reception, Saturday, August 2, from 1 to 4 p.m.
Paintings by Michele Weitzenberg.
1580 Eastshore Rd. Bodega Bay, 707-875-2744, www.localcolorgallery.com

A New Leaf Gallery| Sculpture Site
Through December 31, 2014, SculptureWALK,  New Works in the Gardens
Over 60 sculptural works by gallery artists are on display throughout the Cornerstone Gardens complex. Printed SculptureWALK guides are available at the gallery to assist you in admiring the visual dialog created by the sculptures in their magnificent garden setting.
At Cornerstone Sonoma, 23588 Arnold Drive (Hwy. 121), Sonoma, 707-933-1300, www.anewleafgallery.com

Occidental Center for the Arts
Through August 31, Colors of Summer
Juried by Sonoma County painter, Sandra Rubin, the work in this exhibition celebrates the moods and colors of summer.
3850 Doris Murphy Ct., Occidental, 707-874-9392, www.occidentalcenterforthearts.org

Paradise Ridge Winery Sculpture
Through May 31, 2015, 20@20: 20 artists at 20 years
A year-long outdoor sculpture exhibition by 20 artists; includes a selection of emerging artists along with a core group of internationally acclaimed established artists. The work is set in a stunning natural setting with meadows, and oak groves, in the historic Fountaingrove neighborhood in northwest Santa Rosa.
4545 Thomas Lake Harris Drive, Santa Rosa, www.celebratesculpture.com or www.prwinery.com

Petaluma Arts Center
Through September 14, (n)collage
Collage, a truly “mixed media”, makes use of inventiveness and creativity that is often not a result of experience but a willingness to experiment with the basic process. Curated by Petaluma artist Joe McDonald, the show features collage-work by mostly Bay Area artists.
230 Lakeville Street, Petaluma, 707-762-5600, www.petalumaartscenter.org

Ren Brown Collection Gallery
Housed in a refurbished building with shoji and a small, serene Japanese garden, the gallery shows contemporary art by Japanese and regional Northern California artists. Works include sculpture, paintings, woodcuts, serigraphs, monotypes, handmade paper, baskets, and ceramics. Currently on view is Feather and Fin.
1781 Coast Highway One, Bodega Bay, 707-875-2922, www.renbrown.com

RiskPress Gallery
August 2 through August 27, Stumbling Toward Ecstasy
*** Opening Reception, Saturday, August 2, 5 to 7 p.m., preceded by a Panel Discussion on “All Things Book!” from 3 to 5 p.m.
An exhibition of altered textiles, book art, and poetry, by artist and poet Mark Wangberg. Workshops in book arts and poetry writing will be offered during the exhibition.
7345 Healdsburg Ave., Sebastopol, www.riskpress.com

Santa Rosa City Council Chambers
Through August 28, Fun In Color
A solo exhibition of fun and colorful paintings by Tom Swearingen.
Santa Rosa City Council Chambers, 100 Santa Rosa Ave., Santa Rosa, www.tomswearingen.com

Sebastopol Center for the Arts
Through August 30, Play it again, Sam
Exhibition of collage, assemblage and recycled art, juried by Sharon Spain, curator for Recology, San Francisco’s Artist in Residence Program.
282 High St., in the Veterans’ Memorial Bldg., Sebastopol, 707-829-4797, www.sebarts.org

Sebastopol Gallery
August 10 through September 14, Paula Matzinger and Chris Boyd
*** Opening reception Saturday, August 23
This two-person show features ceramics by Chris Boyd and paintings by Paula Matzinger.
150 North Main St., Sebastopol, 707-829-7200, www.sebastopol-gallery.com

Sonoma County Museum
Through August 17, From Hogarth to Hundertwasser: A Passion for Prints
This exhibition features a collection of fine art prints dating from the fifteenth century to the present including work by Albrecht Durer, William Hogarth, Wassily Kandinsky, Hundertwasser, and Francisco Zuñiga. It reflects the passion of a Sonoma County collector who has acquired prints for more than six decades.
Also on view through August 17, Siberia: In the Eyes of Russian Photographers. For related events and programs check the museum website.

August 22 through August 31, Louisa King Fraser: Now & Then
*** Opening Reception on August 22 from 5to 7 p.m.
Celebrated Sonoma County plein-air painter, Louisa King Fraser, exhibits work from throughout her career.
425 Seventh St., Santa Rosa, 707-579-1500, www.sonomacountymuseum.org

"Possessions" by Chester Arnold, at SVMA

“Possessions” by Chester Arnold, at SVMA

Sonoma Valley Museum of Art
August 8 through October 26, Realism, Really? Today’s Contemporary Realists
Guest curated by Jennifer Bethke, the exhibition explores the expansive boundaries of realism today through a selection of six contemporary California painters; Chester Arnold, Guy Diehl, F. Scott Hess, Marina Moevs, Douglas Fenn Wilson, and Jeong Im Yi.
551 Broadway, Sonoma, 707-939-7862, www.svma.org

Republished from www.sonomacounty.com/blog/current-and-new-art-exhibitions-august-2014

 

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Presence, a new exhibition at C14 Contemporary Arts in Sebastopol

Posted on June 10, 2014 by Satri Pencak

It’s exciting to work with new ideas and new energy, so I was pleased to be asked to help organize, Presence, the premier exhibition for C14 Contemporary Arts, the new gallery space in the up-and-coming Barlow complex in Sebastopol. Gallery owner, DebraLea Comstock and business manager, Martha Channer, have gathered together an initial core group of nine established artists, whose work represents a coherent range of media, styles, and genres.

The inaugural exhibition, Presence, highlights work by the diverse but complementary core group of artists. It was my task, and pleasure, to review and select work by these nine artists that reflects each of their unique styles as well as the vision of the gallery. It was quite exhilarating to design the exhibition in the midst of the gallery’s transformation from its former incarnation to its new beginning—walls were being painted and furnishing were changing as art was being installed. To say the least, a lot took place in a very short time to present a comprehensible and professional exhibition of quality artwork. Many positive things can be said about working with cooperative and professional artists.

While the vision of the gallery leans toward contemporary abstraction, the core group embraces figurative and representational elements as well. The current exhibition, Presence, features Teresa Camozzi’s cast polyester resin designs referencing botanical patterns; Martha Channer’s abstract paintings of lyrical forms imbued with symbols and metaphors; DebraLea Comstock’s sculptured glass organic shapes; Dave Gordon’s moody abstract landscape paintings; Brooke Holve’s mixed-media constructions made of fabric and precisely dissected book covers; Colin Lambert’s cast bronze figures and models for large public artworks; Craig Mitchell’s wood and found object chair-like structure, Fred Vedder’s encaustic and mixed-media textural forms; and Martha Wade’s dramatic figurative paintings that evoke enigmatic narratives.

The gallery’s future exhibition schedule will offer abundant opportunities for other artists to be included in shows and participate in numerous ways. The gallery is located at 6780 Depot St., Suite 100, in the Barlow complex in Sebastopol. With all the new shops, eateries, and beverage tasting (wine, beer, coffee) establishments, the gallery is well situated for success.

If you missed the opening reception, a second reception for the artists will be held on Saturday, June 14, from 5 to 8 p.m.; it’s a great time to meet the artists and talk to them about their work. Due to the growing interest in the gallery, the current exhibition has been extended through July 6.

For more information or to get on their mailing list for regular updates about exhibitions, events, opportunities, and performances, check their website, www.c14contemporaryarts.com, or call 707-827-3020.
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Current and New Gallery & Museum Exhibitions in Sonoma County for June 2014

Posted on June 2, 2014 by Satri Pencak

Art abounds in Sonoma County, where inspired local artists work in a variety of media and genres. While navigating around the vineyards and rolling hills, along the scenic coast, and through the welcoming townships, be sure and stop in at some of the numerous art galleries, art centers, and museums to see a special art exhibition. Many wineries and eateries also have art on exhibit, where you can view fine art while enjoying great food and refreshments. Here are some exhibitions on view right now:

*** Designates an Opening Reception.

http://www.sonomacounty.com/blog/current-and-new-gallery-and-museum-exhibitions-june-2014

By Marylu Downing, at Graton Gallery.

By Marylu Downing, at Graton Gallery.

George, by Nick Mancillas, at Chroma Gallery.

George, by Nick Mancillas, at Chroma Gallery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sketch by Tamsen Donner, at Quercia Gallery.

Sketch by Tamsen Donner, at Quercia Gallery.

Laguna Mirage, by Marge Mount, at Ice House Gallery.

Laguna Mirage, by Marge Mount, at Ice House Gallery.

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Current and new art exhibitions in Sonoma County for the month of May

Posted on May 2, 2014 by Satri Pencak

I’ve been busy with many new projects. One is my monthly Visual Arts Round-up for the Sonoma County Tourism website. Here is the link where you can find a listing of current and new art exhibitions in Sonoma County for the month of May.

http://www.sonomacounty.com/blog/current-and-new-art-gallery-and-museum-exhibitions-may-2014

Horizon 9, by D.S. Gordon, at C14

Horizon 9, by D.S. Gordon, at C14 contemporary arts

Cactus #1, by Pam Glasscock, at Calabi Gallery.

Cactus #1, by Pam Glasscock, at Calabi Gallery.

no bell prys for peace with predator drone, by Wm. T. Wiley, at SVMA.

no bell prys for peace with predator drone, by Wm. T. Wiley, at SVMA.

 

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Best Bets in the Visual Arts for March 5 to March 11

Posted on March 5, 2014 by Satri Pencak

Here are my Best Bets in the visual arts for this week.

 

High Voltage, by Ken Berman.

High Voltage, by Ken Berman.

The new exhibition that just opened at the Graton Gallery, in downtown Graton, is their second annual juried Small Works 2014. The juror, artist Bob Nugent, selected approximately 80 pieces that were submitted by artists from throughout Northern California. Various media are represented, including painting, printmaking, and sculpture. A number of awards were given, with First Place going to Ken Berman for his painting High Voltage. The exhibition will be on view through March 30. For more information, check their website, gratongallery.com.

Next I want to mention that, two long-time West Sonoma County artists, Bill Wheeler and Pieter Myers, are showing their etchings, lithographs, photogravures, and drawings at the Canessa Gallery in San Francisco. The exhibition, Wheeler & Myers: Works on Paper, is part of the Southern Graphics Council International Conference. With their studios on adjoining properties in Occidental, Wheeler and Myers have shared artistic inspiration for over thirty years and are now showing their work together as part of this international event. The SGCI conference is being held in San Francisco this year, and numerous Bay Area venues and arts organizations are participating with events throughout the month of March. An Artist’s Reception for Wheeler and Myers will take place on Saturday March 8, from 3 to 7 p.m. at Canessa Gallery, located at 708 Montgomery Street and Columbus in San Francisco. The exhibition continues through March 30. For more information check the gallery website, canessa.org.

Pieter Myers & Bill Wheeler.

Pieter Myers & Bill Wheeler.

Then, the new exhibition opening at the Hammerfriar Gallery, in Healdsburg, features the work of Gordon Onslow Ford, John Anderson, and Robert Percy. This historically significant exhibition is co-sponsored by Calabi Gallery, which has very recently moved to Santa Rosa from its Petaluma location. Gordon Onslow Ford, who died in 2003 at the age of 91, was one of the last surviving members of the surrealist group associated with André Breton in Paris during the 1930s. In 1957 Onslow Ford moved to Inverness, on the Point Reyes Peninsula, where he eventually co-founded the Lucid Arts Foundation. Contemporary painters Robert Percy and John Anderson each worked as studio assistants for Onslow Ford. All three painters addressed themes of perceptual consciousness, dreams, and the spiritual impulse in their work. The exhibition opens with a reception on Saturday, March 8, from 6 to 9 p.m. and continues through May 4, 2014. A panel discussion with Dennis Calabi, B. Kalivac Carroll, and Robert Percy will take place at the Gallery on Sunday, April 20; from 3 to 5 p.m. Hammerfriar Gallery is located at 132 Mill Street, in Healdsburg. For more information, check their website, hammerfriar.com.

Baba's Pearl, by Robert Percy.

Baba’s Pearl, by Robert Percy.

Radiant Matter, by Gordon Onslow Ford.

Radiant Matter, by Gordon Onslow Ford.

Midnight Sun, by John Anderson.

Midnight Sun, by John Anderson.

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Best Bets in the visual arts for the week of February 12 – February 18, 2014

Posted on February 13, 2014 by Satri Pencak

Here are my Best Bets in the visual arts for the week of February 12 – February 18, 2014.
Poetry of PrintingThe current exhibition at RiskPress Gallery, in Sebastopol, is The Poetry of Printing featuring letterpress works by sixteen artists who are members of the Iota Press co-op. You can see beautiful examples of handmade artist’s books, poetry broadsides, and even printed fabric and pillows. Letterpress printing is a typesetting technique that employs movable type set into a printing press. Developed during the 15th century, letterpress printing is experiencing a renaissance with artists using both traditional as well as with innovative applications. To see how it’s done or perhaps try your hand at it, letterpress printing demonstrations take place every Friday afternoon. Then on Sunday, February 16, from 2 to 4 p.m. the group is presenting A Speak Easy–Sounds in Print. This will be a poetry reading by Iota Press co-op members and others, and will include a performance–a chorus of words, which promises to be a lively and fun event, especially for lovers of words! The exhibition continues through February 23. RiskPress Gallery is located at 7345 Healdsburg Ave., in Sebastopol. For more information, check their website, riskpress.com.

 

Bella Feldman

Bella Feldman

Then at the Hammerfriar Gallery in Healdsburg is Bella Feldman: Flasks of Fiction. This small but dynamic exhibition features glass and metal sculptures by the Oakland-based artist who was known in the 1970s as a pioneer of women sculptors. Now in her 80s, Feldman continues to create powerful yet elegant works that draw on her life experiences and personal perspectives. The works in this exhibition evoke a balance of tension that is felt between the hardened steel and fragile glass. Their bold yet simple forms make references to stories, memories and metaphors. Feldman was a professor of sculpture at California College of Arts for 36 years, and her work is in the collections of the de Young Museum, UC Berkeley Art Museum and the Oakland Museum. The work will be on view through March 1. Hammerfriar Gallery is located at 132 Mill Street, Suite 101, in Healdsburg. For more information, check their website hammerfriar.com.

Finally, you still have time to get over to the Petaluma Arts Center to see Form and Finish: Sculptures by Michael Cooper and John de Marchi. The exhibition features the work of two distinguished sculptors, Michael Cooper and John de Marchi, who maintained an enduring friendship until de Marchi’s passing in 2011. They shared a love for tools, quality finishes, superbly designed and crafted objects, as well as teaching what they loved. Cooper and de Marchi are both internationally acclaimed artists who have maintained studios in Sonoma County, California for many decades. On Sunday, March 2, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., Michael Cooper will host a tour of his studio. Contact the Arts Center to reserve a place, $50 members; $65 general (includes a signed poster and refreshments). The exhibition continues through March 16. For more information go to petalumaartscenter.org.

 

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Form & Finish: Sculptures by Michael Cooper & John de Marchi

Posted on January 21, 2014 by Satri Pencak

I’m pleased to share with you my newest curatorial project on display at the Petaluma Arts Center through March 16, 2014.

Form & Finish: Sculptures by Michael Cooper & John de Marchi features the work of two distinguished sculptors. Michael Cooper and John de Marchi maintained an enduring friendship until de Marchi’s passing in 2011. They shared a love for tools, quality finishes, superbly designed and crafted objects, as well as teaching what they loved. Cooper and de Marchi are both internationally acclaimed artists who have maintained studios in Sonoma County, California for many decades.

Cooper and de Marchi first met during the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art’s first Artists’ Soapbox Derby, which took place in May of 1975. The event was a fundraiser for the museum and involving over 100 artists and 75 hand-built race cars that were designed to coast downhill in San Francisco’s McLaren Park. A second version of the event was held in May of 1978. Michael Cooper and John de Marchi participated in both of these events, and while Cooper’s 1975 Soapbox Racer is in a private collection and not on view in this exhibition, de Marchi’s Sonoma Flyer 3, was actually driven by the artist during the 1978 event.

While each artist possesses his own distinct style and sensibility, both have created sculptures using machine shop equipment and mechanical engineering—combining machined components and industrial finishes to produce exquisitely designed sculptural pieces. Form and the arrangement of shapes is critical to both artists, however the way in which they handle form is quite different. In de Marchi’s work, symmetry and balance are essential, thus evoking a sense of taut Zen calm. On the other hand, Cooper’s work is about asymmetry and sensual forms, conveying a dynamic exuberance.

Aside from form and finish, content is also an important element in the work of these two artists. De Marchi approached to his work with the intention of creating metaphorical models exploring the philosophical nature of humanity. Cooper’s approach to content is much more direct, addressing edgy social and political issues such as environmental concerns, or our cultural attitudes toward guns.

Internationally known and legendary master artist, Michael Cooper, is an outstanding sculptor in wood, metal and other materials. Cooper’s work also exhibits brilliance in design and imagination. This exhibition highlights a selection of Cooper’s dazzling sculptures, each a phenomenally unique work of art. A collection of his work has recently been on tour with the Museum of Craft and Design, traveling across the nation, including Bellevue, Washington; Brockton, Massachusetts; and San Francisco, California. Michael Cooper lives and works in Sebastopol.

John de Marchi was a long-time Petaluma resident and artist who passed away in May 2011. De Marchi worked in the Art Department at Sonoma State University for over twenty-five years as a technician and teacher. His work expresses his love of tools, precision, and industrial materials such as metal, acrylic, and magnets. De Marchi has had solo exhibitions at the Museo Italo Americano, the Iannetti Lanzone Gallery in San Francisco, and the Oakland Museum of California.

To fill out the story, a sampling of de Marchi’s extensive tool collection is on display, representing tools that he made, modified, or collected. Also included in the exhibition is photography by Mike Chase. Known for his dynamic photographs of motorcycles and cars, Chase captures his subjects with technical skill and an artist’s eye. A number of Chase’s photographs were published in Michael Cooper: A Sculptural Odyssey, 1968-2011 for the Museum of Craft and Design. Mike Chase maintains a studio in Santa Rosa.

The exhibition continues at the Petaluma Arts Center though March 16, 2014.

Related Events:
Sunday, February 2, 2 to 4 p.m., Gallery Talk and Demonstration by Michael Cooper; $7 members; $10 general.

Wednesday February 5, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Panel Discussion: The Life and Work of John de Marchi hosted by curator Satri Pencak with Mike Cooper, Michael McGinnis, Deborah Colotti and others; $7 members; $10 general.

Sunday, March 2, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., Michael Cooper will host a tour of his studio for a select group of art lovers. Contact the Arts Center to reserve a place. $50 members; $65 general (includes a signed poster and refreshments).

Petaluma Arts Center is located at 230 Lakeville Street, Petaluma, CA. For more information call 707-762-5600, or go to www.petalumaartscenter.org.

Watch the promo video:

Installation slideshow:

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Photos by Satri Pencak.

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Bob Nugent: Dialogues with Nature @ Art Works Downtown

Posted on November 1, 2013 by Satri Pencak

The new project that I have recently curated at Art Works Downtown, in San Rafael, CA, is Bob Nugent: Dialogues with Nature. The exhibition brings together work from four different series by the artist, Bob Nugent, that are being shown together for the first time. The nearly 30 pieces in the exhibition include large-scale paintings, flora drawings, works on wood veneer, and carved wood sculptures.

Nugent’s work makes reference to his many years of travel in Brazil, specifically along the Amazon River Basin. Over this period of time Nugent has developed a large and diverse body of work referencing the unique natural environment that can be found there. The work speaks of Nugent’s insightful explorations and interest in specific places and his ability to convey these impressions through his art in an evolving yet consistent manner. By suggesting imagery inspired by plant- and landforms, natural objects, insects, water and atmosphere, Nugent’s work reveals the essence, more than the actuality of a fully rendered landscape. Through an understanding of its unique properties both perceivable and intangible, and using images, memories, and materials sourced from specific locations, the works reflect an intuitive depth of knowledge and awareness of place.

Anavilhanas, 2013

Anavilhanas, 2013

In his paintings Nugent arranges extracts of landscape elements along with carefully rendered objects in an abstract matrix. Through a play of relationships and dichotomies of proportion—that is by making small elements large, and large elements small—an interchange takes place from realism to abstract and back again.

Flora Brasilinesis 121

Flora Brasilinesis 121

For the Flora Drawings Nugent took tattered and bug-worn pages from an old book of botanical drawings. After putting the paper through a cleaning and stabilizing process, he began using it for his own drawings with watercolor, gouache, conte, and ink. Eventually his drawings began to coincide and interact with the images and marks on the paper, creating a dialogue between himself, the original images, and the insect- and age-worn paper.

Minucia CXLVI, 2010

Minucia CXLVI, 2010

In the works on veneer, Nugent employs various wood veneers as a background for carefully rendered drawings of natural objects using watercolor, gouache, conté and pencil. In this way his drawings interact with the colors and wood-grain patterns of the veneer, creating their own conversation.

Standard 25, 2009

Standard 25, 2009

The Standards; which were crafted in California from local lumber, present an exchange between the tree, the miller, the insects, and the artist. Made of oak and other spalted woods (marks and discoloration caused by fungi, etc.), Nugent had one edge milled, the other left natural, and then responded to the markings left by boring insects by emphasizing them and continuing the dialogue with his own markings.

Nugent is a Professor Emeritus from Sonoma State University, and is a recipient of a Fulbright Foundation Grant, a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, and numerous other awards, fellowships, and grants. His work is held in major museums and collections throughout the world.

A reception for the artist will take place on Friday, November 8,  2013, from 5 to 8 p.m. The exhibition continues through November 22. For more information check their website, artworksdowntown.org.

Installation view 1

Installation view 1

Installation view 2

Installation view 2

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Brooke Holve: Cuttings @ RiskPress Gallery

Posted on October 3, 2013 by Satri Pencak

The new exhibition opening at RiskPress Gallery in Sebastopol is called Cuttings. This solo exhibition includes drawings, mixed-media constructions, and artist books by Brooke Holve. While considering the changing role of books in our ever-increasing digital reading delivery systems, Brooke uses discarded book remnants as the predominant material of her work. Her process involves cutting, as well as the choices and synchronicities that occur while her constructions take form. Brooke has recently been exploring the limits, and pushing the boundaries of letterpress printing, these “gatherings of information” will also appear in the exhibition. Beyond the materiality of books, paper, and print, Brooke combines and employs whatever materials or media are needed as she investigates the connections and interactions of culture, memory, landscape and natural phenomena through her work.

I had the opportunity to talk with Brooke in her studio about her work and inspirations for this exhibition. To hear the 10-minute interview with Brooke, click here:  

The exhibition will open with a reception for the artist on Saturday October 5th from 5 to 8 p.m. and continue through October 27. Brooke will present a Gallery Talk on Saturday, October 19, from 4 to 6 p.m. You can also join Brooke for exploration walks from 1 to 3 p.m. on Sundays during the exhibition.

RiskPress Gallery is located on Healdsburg Avenue in Sebastopol. The gallery will be open Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and by appointment. For more information about the exhibition check their website riskpress.com. For more information about the artist go to brookeholve.com.

Cover Cuts 8, 2012

Cover Cuts 8, 2012

Book Blinks 2, 2011
Book Blinks 2, 2011
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Richard Diebenkorn: The Berkeley Years @ de Young Museum and a Look at the influence of Matisse

Posted on September 25, 2013 by Satri Pencak

Much well-deserved attention has been paid in recent months to Richard Diebenkorn: The Berkeley Years at the de Young Museum in San Francisco, which is closing Sunday September 29. Many very good reviews have been written about the exhibition, so I just want to mention some personal revelations and insights. But first, here’s a little contextual background. The exhibition, called The Berkeley Years, focuses on the period between 1953 and 1966, when Richard Diebenkorn lived and worked in Berkeley. The work and career of this pivotal artist needs to be noted for a number of reasons; including major contributions to American art during the mid-twentieth century—Diebenkorn began showing his work in New York galleries in the late 1950s. But, perhaps more importantly, was the recognition he brought to, and influences he had, on the San Francisco Bay Area art history. Diebenkorn was born in Portland, Oregon in 1922, but was raised in San Francisco. His career as an artist and teacher allowed him to live in various parts of the country, as well as Berkeley and Santa Monica. Then, in 1988, he and his wife moved to Healdsburg, California, where he lived and continued making art until his death in 1993.

Diebenkorn played a prominent role in the development of the Bay Area Figurative movement, which evolved in the greater San Francisco area during the early 1950s. He, along with other early proponents, such as David Park and Elmer Bischoff, began incorporating representational and figurative subject matter into their paintings at a time when the predominant style in the United States was Abstract Expressionism. As a teacher in major Bay Area art schools, he also influenced the work of such important artists as Joan Brown and Manuel Neri. Eventually the Bay Area Figurative movement developed into one of the first distinctive styles to arise in Northern California and become nationally recognized in the wider art world.

While Diebenkorn’s early work reflected the influence of popular abstract trends, his later work evolved and changed through his many explorations, eventually returning to abstraction. In this exhibition of the Berkeley Years, the series demonstrates the sequential process of his work during this period and discloses the bridges, transitions, and flow between abstract and representational subject matter. For Diebenkorn the emotional explosions of Abstract Expressionism’s gesture paintings take on a more subtle psychological nuance. His figurative imagery is detached, impersonal, and still firmly integrated in an abstract framework.

Berkeley #44, 1955, R. Diebenkorn.

Berkeley #44, 1955, R. Diebenkorn.

For example, when you view his abstract painting Berkeley #44, from 1955, compared with Figure on a Porch, from 1959, you can see how the green and gold patchwork of color areas in the former painting evolved to incorporate a figure on a porch viewing a landscape. Yet the figure, the furniture and the landscape all have the same relevance as geometric components to the composition as a whole.

Figure on a Porch, 1959, R. Diebenkorn.

Figure on a Porch, 1959, R. Diebenkorn.

Man & Woman in a Large Room, 1957, R. Diebenkorn.

Man & Woman in a Large Room, 1957, R. Diebenkorn.

However, it seems that when Diebenkorn incorporates two figures, hints of psychological engagement begin to appear, such as can be noted in Man and Woman in Large Room, 1957, where even without facial features, a dialogue ensues between the two figures. Looking at this body of work with a contemporaneous and forward point of view provides one dimension to Diebenkorn’s work.

 

The Influence of Mattise
Another dimension unfolds by looking at the work of earlier artists who made a strong imprint on Diebenkorn; artists that were significant to his own development, not only during the period of the Berkeley years, but as a continuum—before and after as well. One of the strongest influences was that of Matisse, whose work Diebenkorn admired, and had access to while a student at Stanford University as well as at other points in his life. One striking comparison can be made by looking at Diebenkorn’s Interior with Doorway, from 1962, and Matisse’s Porte-Fenetre a Collioure, 1914. In Interior with Doorway, the overall composition of an interior scene has a clear abstract structure, there are no human figures, however an empty folding chair and open door imply human occupation and interaction. In Porte-Fenetre a Collioure, which was noticeably sparse and abstract for its time, the door stands ajar in a very flat space, but with even less human inference. Both paintings make use of muted ‘denim-blue’ color areas compressed by substantial vertical forms. And in both, the bones of the underlying geometry are exposed. The consideration of spacial movement between inside and outside is important to both artists, but while Diebenkorn’s doorway invites an outwardly telescoping view, Matisse’s portal peers into a shadowy interior space.

Porte Fenetre a Collioure, 1914, H. Matisse.

Porte Fenetre a Collioure, 1914, H. Matisse.

Interior with Doorway, 1962, R. Diebenkorn.

Interior with Doorway, 1962, R. Diebenkorn.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other interesting similarities can be seen in the Matisse’s Dancer and Rocaille Armchair on a Black Background, 1942, when compared to Diebenkorn’s Figure on a Porch, 1959. In each a single abstracted figure, on a tilted flat space, is held within grids, lines and rectangles. The painting process of erasures and corrections is revealed just below the surface in both works.

Dancer & Rocaille Armchair on Black Background, 1942, H. Matisse.

Dancer & Rocaille Armchair on Black Background, 1942, H. Matisse.

Figure on a Porch, 1959, R. Diebenkorn.

Figure on a Porch, 1959, R. Diebenkorn.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nude on a Blue Ground, 1966, R. Diebenkorn.

Nude on a Blue Ground, 1966, R. Diebenkorn.

The one painting that stopped me in my tracks was Nude on Blue Ground, 1966. On first impression it’s so different from the other paintings in the series, yet familiar and so thoroughly Diebenkorn. A large female nude figure, standing in a dancer-esque pose, fills the canvas on a dark flat background. The many figure drawings in the exhibition affirm Diebenkorn’s familiarity and confidence in working with the figure. The signature brushwork, flatness of forms, and use of a simple inscribed line to suggest an interior space are very much Diebenkorn. The painting reflects back to Matisse, both in his dancer figures, but also in the use of sparsely inscribed lines to delineate forms and space. If you look at Matisse’s The Red Studio, 1911, though the red color dominates, the walls and objects are also inscribed with spare linear suggestions.

The Red Studio, 1911, H. Matisse.

The Red Studio, 1911, H. Matisse.

Diebenkorn absorbed, internalized, and synthesized the work of other artists, but in the end made this ingestion distinctly his own. The signature Diebenkorn space, color, and angles are present in some form throughout most of his career.

The more than 120 paintings, collages, and drawings in the exhibition include abstract imagery along with landscapes, figures, interiors, and still lifes. Richard Diebenkorn: The Berkeley Years continues at the de Young Museum through September 29. For more information about the exhibition and related programs check their website, famsf.org.

Berkeley #44, 1955, Richard Diebenkorn. image from famsf.org
Figure on a Porch, 1959, Richard Diebenkorn. image from famsf.org
Man & Woman in Large Room, 1957, Richard Diebenkorn. image from wikipaintings.org
Interior with Doorway, 1962, Richard Diebenkorn. image from famsf.org
Porte Fenetre a Collioure, 1914, Henri Matisse. image from henri-matisse.net
Dancer & Rocaille Armchair on a Black Background, 1942, Henri Matisse. image from wikipaintings.org
The Red Studio, 1911, Henri Matisse. image from moma.org
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