Group art show, “Women of the New Contemporary” extends exhibit

The extended show, originally slated to end March 17, offers gallery visitors additional opportunity to view the variously-sized works in the gallery and five outdoor murals on the walls of the Visual Art Center which houses the gallery.

“Women of the New Contemporary” is one of the largest shows to date for the university’s 32-year-old Brandstater Gallery, and provides insight into the New Contemporary artistic movement which focuses on figurative, graphic or representational forms of art. The exhibit opened Feb. 28 with an artists’ reception. Most of the gallery show consists of paintings along with a few prints, photographic works and sculpture, including special installations from artist Martha Rich of Philadelphia, Pa., photographer Deanna Templeton of Huntington Beach, and other artists.

Curated by Torrey Cook, owner of by Laguna Beach gallery Artists Republic, the broad display showcases the works of artists from around the United States, as well as England and the Netherlands. Approximately half of the artists are from Southern California. Eight artists arrived nearly two weeks before the opening to paint the large, brightly colored murals. Four Southern California artists created a collaborative mural. 

In an interview with NPR affiliate, KVCR 91.9 FM, Cook describes the exhibit and the New Contemporary movement as well as the impact social media has had on the art world. A podcast of the interview is available here: http://kvcrnews.org/post/3916-coasters-women-new-contemporary-art-exhibit-author-dan-kainen

The show’s opening attracted dozens of art enthusiasts and students. “I like the fact that all the women are really inspiring,” said Rocio Rabanales, a junior fine art major at La Sierra who enjoys creating batik prints with fabric. “Each woman has their own perception of the things they are drawing and painting.”

Senior bio-med major Kristin Lim observed a sculpture of a large, eye-less, black-painted head, resting on its side on the gallery floor. “I thought it was interesting,” she said. She deemed the exhibit of widely differing artists united on a central theme “amazing.” Her friend, senior bio-med major Som Ji added, “I really like it. They usually have one or two artists. It’s kind of fascinating.”

Attendees included Cook’s 9-year-old daughter, Levi Cook. “It’s really, really cool,” she said of the art exhibit as she and a few friends enjoyed snacks on an upper level patio near the gallery. “I want it in my house,” chimed in Levi’s 11-year-old friend, Margaux Alexander. “Same,” added Margaux’s sister, 8-year-old Beatrix Alexander.

“I just love seeing art come alive, especially women’s art,” said the sisters’ mother, Meiken Alexander. The family owns art works by some of the artists exhibiting in the Brandstater show.

Artist Camille Taylor of Los Angeles created the large human head over two years, applying layers of paper pulp over a ball of wire. The artist had been working on a series of 108 life-sized heads when she decided to make a large-scale version. “I thought a single [large] one would make an interesting statement,” she said. The head’s lack of eyes creates an interior world, Taylor said.

The gallery show includes Rich’s installation of “speech bubbles” -- large text bubbles cut from wood and painted in brilliant colors with text. The bubbles capture bits and pieces of colorful conversations that one might accidentally overhear such as, “I literally worry about it every day,” and “But wait there is more.” She produced a painted version of the speech bubbles on an outdoor art center wall as one of the five murals. 

The paintings range from Jovi Schnell’s geometrically fanciful “Honeycomb Hideaway,” a work of acrylic, gouche and collage that appears almost three dimensional, to the rich oils and detail of Kati Williams’ intriguing “Aether Portal.” Other works include Laurie Hassold’s “Empty Throne” sculpture using animal bones, ocotillo stalk, steel, resin clay acrylic, miniatures and jewelry. In a scene that conjures images of faeries and Middle Earth creatures, the intricately crafted sculpture rises and unfolds with detailed, curling pieces and objects that support a tiny throne stationed in a hollow near the top. Metal butterfly wings on either side stand guard underneath cascading branch elements that resemble antlers.

San Diego County-based artist Casey O’Connell painted a mural on the north side of the exterior wall of the gallery facing the art center parking lot. A woman on an eggshell blue background is sitting back with legs crossed, reading a book about how to draw cats. A black-faced Siamese cat sits close at her side.

O’Connell, a painter from Encinitas has created a number of large murals over the past three years including nine this past year in Laguna Beach, Las Vegas, Atlanta, New Orleans, San Francisco, San Diego, Raleigh, N.C., and Austin, Texas. She uses acrylic paints and oil stain for her murals which evolve from sketches of ideas and detailed plans into scaled up versions on walls. Most of her murals have 15 or 16 layers of paint. “It’s like chasing the fleeting thought until you reach the answer,” she said.

“Women of the New Contemporary” is the latest of roughly 200 exhibits Brandstater Gallery has hosted since its opening in 1984. The gallery was established with a legacy donation from the children of Roy and Frances Brandstater and has featured such prominent artists as Sam Francis, graphic designer Stefan Bucher, painter Josh Hagler, photographer Todd Baxter, and most recently, noted woodcut and print artist Roxanne Sexauer.

“My goal as gallery director is to put on a variety of exhibitions in terms of both media and accessibility,” said Tim Musso, Brandstater Gallery director and assistant art professor. “It is important for me to select artists who are able to talk about their work in way that gallery visitors from all backgrounds can understand. 

“In the future we plan to have an annual exhibition that features the work of local academy students. This will be a way to connect the gallery with a wider education community.”

Admission to “Women of the New Contemporary” is free. Brandstater Gallery is open Mon. – Thurs., 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. and is available by appointment by contacting Tim Musso at tmusso@lasierra.edu. Further information is available at 951-785-2170. La Sierra University is located at 4500 Riverwalk Parkway, Riverside. A campus map to reach Brandstater Gallery is available at https://lasierra.edu/fileadmin/documents/art/brandstater-campu-map.pdf.

Participating artists:

Amanda Marie (Denver, Co.)

Alea Nicole Hurst (McDonough, Ga.)

Camilla Taylor (Los Angeles, Calif.)

Casey O’Connell (San Diego, Calif.)

Dee Dee Cheriel (Los Angeles, Calif.)

Handiedan (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

Hilary White (Florida)

Jovi Schnell (Berkeley, Calif.)

Kati Williams (Richmond, Va.)

Kelly Tunstall (San Francisco, Calif.)

Laura Berger (Chicago, Ill.)

Laurie Hassold (Costa Mesa, Calif.)

Lisa Congdon (Portland, Ore.)

Liz Brizzi (Los Angeles, Calif.)

Magdalena Wosinska (Los Angeles, Calif.)

Mel Kadel (Los Angeles, Calif.)

Paige Smith (Los Angeles, Calif.)

Super Future Kid (London, England)

Velia de Iuliis (San Francisco, Calif.)

Special installations:

Martha Rich (Philadelphia, Pa.)

Deanna Templeton (Huntington Beach, Calif.)

10 x 12’x12” works from Southern California artists: Jennie Cotterill (Huntington Beach), Chantal de Felice (San Clemente), Yevgeniya Mikhailik (Irvine), Camilla Taylor (Los Angeles), Suzanne Walsh (Santa Ana), Sara Walsh (Los Angeles), Jessie Keylon (San Diego), Lauren Over (Los Angeles), Nancy Chiu (Irvine), Erynn Richardson (Riverside).

Exterior Murals:

Casey O’Connell (Encinitas, Calif.)

Velia de Iuliis (San Francisco, Calif.)

Martha Rich (Philadelphia, Pa.)

Jennie Cotterill, Yevgeniya Mikhailik, Nancy Chiu, Suzanne Walsh

Zio Ziegler (Mill Valley, Calif.)

About The New Contemporary Movement

The New Contemporary movement, widely acknowledged to have begun in the early 90's on the West Coast, evolved in reaction to a conceptual turn in fine art. Founded in part on a rejection of the arbitrary division of visual culture that tends to elevate "high art" above the social and popular realms, the movement invoked the countercultural and drew content from an immersion in social experience. The standard of excessive academicism and abstraction, against which it grew, was commonly held in higher regard than more figurative, graphic or representational forms of art. This marginalization inspired the New Contemporary movement to set its own terms and create its own context for the reception of its work. With a renewed emphasis on technical skill, narrative and representation, it has encouraged a social return in art. Moving away from the standard art education model that demands graduate school, an excess of critical rhetoric and an art world careerism, these artists, many of whom are self-taught, have sought their own inspiration and voice instead, drawing on everything from popular culture and social media platforms, to street art, murals and graffiti. By creating a distinct community in support of the diversity of its visions and styles, the movement has mortared and upheld its own invisible school.

About Artists Republic Gallery

Since opening its doors in 2010, Artists Republic has been one of Orange County’s premier venues for New Contemporary art. Located in Laguna Beach, CA, the gallery is dedicated to the support of emerging and mid-career artists whose work has impacted and influenced lives through youth culture. Artists Republic is located at 1175 S. Coast Hwy in Laguna Beach and specializes in original works, prints, books and more. (http://ar4t.com)