The Soul Of A Sugar Bowl
October 3, 2021 - November 4, 2021
Charm and allure are nearly as ubiquitous an aspect in art history as the Madonna and child. Artists seem to have been particularly fond of adding these elements to a bowl of fruit, inanimate objects, or the translation of the human form. The still life is one of the first subjects art students tackle, trying to translate their interpretation of what they see. The artworks featured in this month's exhibition have built-in eye appeal and capture the soul of charm, with delightful colors, adorable shapes, and pleasant textures.
For his subject matter, Stuart Dunkel alternates between still life, landscape, and animal portraits that fuse detailed depictions with subtle humor. He hopes his viewer will find joy, optimism, and playfulness, as well as a sense of classical balance and beauty in his work.
James Zamora is known for his unique “aisle paintings”. Using different spatial compositions the artist translates common marketplace imagery into a stylized, elevated environment. Through Zamora's work, he explores the particularity between the relationship of our eyes with the subtleties of our immediate reaction. His paintings investigate current trends and their effects on the consumer.
Valerie Etitinwo’s artworks transcend each of her surrounding cultures to create work that is universally relatable through the celebration of imperfections. She creates her work with the conviction to push her creativity and expression to a level of intriguing “ugliness.” With each artwork she fights the temptation of “cuteness” to go beyond what is expected.
Exploring the area between Pop Art and Surrealism, Carl Smith combines his own photographic materials with drawings and other narrative fragments. He works with several layout combinations before creating a finished image. From this finished layout, he selects and transmits individual pieces onto a canvas through screen-printing and further completes his works with oil paint. With the use of found images he tells slightly absurd and humorous visual anecdotes.
Zabel paints each scene with precision, using only spatulas for application. Her paintings are a nod to haute couture and a frivolity reminiscent of Impressionist masters like August Renoir and prolific Rococo artist Jean-Honoré Fragonard. From chic and glamourous lifestyles rendered in gold and silver to neon pinks and greens, you can feel the vibrancy of her life’s travels and colorful experiences.
Gerhard Völkle uses his rust painting technique in both sculptures and on canvas. The employment of rust as a medium allows oxidation to take over each artwork and consequently creates an unpredictable, everchanging surface. Each painting shows dynamic characters in a variety of poses and in various states of movement. The artist uses the absence of detail and unconventional media that is always changing to emphasize silhouetted characters that are also in perpetual motion.
Bay Area artist Melanie Tiongson creates fun and whimsical artworks featuring figures full of curiosity inspired by Filipino folklore and the uncompromised freedom of her young daughter’s imagination. Her mixed media paintings feature a combination of purposeful collage of vintage Tagalog books, expressionist abstraction as well as illustration to communicate positivity and love.
