In a Lonely Place

Detail of Nowhere (2011) by Esao Andrews


The forlorn realm of solitude, among decrepit wrecks and empty desolation, is where the lonely people dwell, sometimes in the form of anthropomorphic animals and sometimes as ghostly visages emerging from darkness; this sad and quiet place is called Nowhere, a region that transcends physical space, a state more of the spirit than of the body.

Esao Andrews' exhibit "Nowhere" at Thinkspace Gallery gives us a powerful view of this lonely place. With evocative colors and haunting composition, this exhibition insinuates a dark Romantic aesthetic into the viewer's mind. The icy regrets, the shadowy abandonment, these poignant sorrows linger like specters within the paint.

And yet, there is undeniable beauty, a sublime quality that empowers these works. "Nowhere" inspires a dreadful fascination.

Detail of Polished & Powdered (2011) by Esao Andrews

I especially admire the play of color that contrasts the muted shades of Nowhere, like a promise, a beckoning hope, of better and brighter times to come.

Where the Wild Thyme Blows

Sleep to Dream (2011) by Stella Im Hultberg


When rousing from a vivid dream, the awakened mind echoes with the whispers and unravelling figments of unconscious desires and dreads. The disjointed narratives of our slumbering spirit fade and grow still, but leave a lingering resonance, a haunting sense of another place that can only be entered through the gateways of sleep. This is the feeling that Thinkspace Gallery's exhibit "In the Wake of Dreams" seems to be evoking.

The show features the art of Amy Sol, Audrey Kawasaki, Mari Inukai, and Stella Im Hultberg. Each artist deals primarily with figural depictions, signifying the beings of the "dreamspace" be it the dreamer or the subject of the dream. With distinct approaches to aesthetic oneiromancy, these artists explore the complexity of identity within the illogical realms of the night.

Stella Im Hultberg is the most traditionally western in her studies of a single raven-tressed woman. Her style has vague symbolist hints, but steers clear of the ornamentation and opulence that characterizes such art. Her images have a placid but deep simplicity in which the dreamer becomes a disembodied visage. Meanwhile, the awakened self is wrapped in lush fabrics that weigh upon the her like the memories of profound imaginings.

Sea Mallow (2011) by Amy Sol

The Self as traveler in an idyllic dreamscape is the premise of Amy Sol's work. Whether it's reading tea leaves in the bough of a great tree alongside a giant bird or watching sea monsters frolic upon a moonlit loch, the dreamer experiences a fantasy realm of peace and amity. Technically, her utilization of the wood grain within the composition gives the work an organic feel. The natural patterns of the material give the paintings depth and a sense of vitality to the featureless setting.

Danse Macabre

Dance of Death (1493) by Michael Wolgemut


October 9, 1835 is the birth date of Camille Saint-Saens.

This isn't a "Classical Music" blog, but I was thinking of sneaking in a little Spooky Sunday fun for an early October evening. One of Saint-Saens' most famous pieces is the Danse Macabre. This tone poem is based on a story in which Death appears at midnight every Halloween and summons up the dead from their graves. To the sound of Death's violin, they dance until sunrise. Then they return into the earth and wait for another year to pass so that they can enjoy another night of liberating dance.

In late medieval lore, the danse macabre was symbolic of the universality of death. Regardless of your age, wealth, social status, or personal talents, the Reaper was always at your side. Death was waiting for all mortals. And so Life was nothing but a dance on the way to the grave.

Morbid stuff!!!

Dance of the Dolls (2011) by Anthony Clarkson

But I find the imagery fascinating. Dancing is such vigorous and life-affirming activity that the combination with Death creates a transgressive thrill. Lifeless things should not be dancing. And dancers should not be dead.

Realism and the Body Beautiful

A Deal With The First Devil You Came Across (2011) by Jeff Ramirez

Last December, Thinkspace gallery exhibited a show called "The New Realism" which displayed a group of six artists including Aaron Nagel, Jeff Ramirez, and Jennifer Nehrbass. Well, they have a current show going on which again features these three artists. And, if you missed the December show, you have another opportunity to admire the fine figural realism of these artists.

I've written about Jeff Ramirez's work before at a show last May. His paintings still contain a powerful mix of highly detailed realism blended with obscurity or inscrutability of significance. With figures hidden under trashcans or brightly colored clothes, the paintings are visual enigmas. The painting above is not as overtly indeterminate, but it still uses cropped, foreshortened, and obscured compositional elements to create a mystery in regards to its premise.

Aaron Nagel's work approaches the mysterious in a different manner. His paintings of realistic female nudes evokes the transcendent quality of religious iconography. Upon a shadowed background, the women shine with supernal radiance, like carnal saints of mortal Beauty. Nagel's figures are exemplars of that which contemporary society worships.

Sincerely II (2011) by Aaron Nagel

My original training in the Arts was focused on religious iconography. So, Nagel's work really resonates with me. If "deus mortuus est" then what is the purpose of the "ora pro nobis"?

Oh Snap, It's DABS MYLA!!!

"Just Breath" installation at Thinkspace Galley by DABS MYLA (2011).

It's a rare threat when a gallery and the artists put on a full installation display of the artworks. Well, Thinkspace Gallery has such an exhibition showing for "DABS MYLA: The Best of Times." It really is an exciting presentation.

Personally, I was not a big fan of DABS MYLA's pieces. Their work was a bit too glib for my tastes, although I can endlessly admire their composition and technique. This show changed my feelings. Yes, in terms of depth of expression, I still feel that their cartoonish imagery doesn't pack a core emotionally resonant potency. However, it entices the viewer's imagination into a playfully subversive fantastic environment where gleeful images subtly morph into disturbing forms. The gloss of childlike joy hides underlying darkness.



Milk and Honey (2011) by DABS MYLA


When looking at their pieces on-line, it's easy to see only happy faces, hot dogs, and donuts. But the installation environment brings out the crazy. With these overly gleeful figures arranged in front of and around the paintings, you can't help but feel that the joy is an insane facade, covering a disturbing mystery.

Psychological Impulses Personified

Treading Through an Untrimmed Memory (2011) by Tran Nguyen

Thinkspace Gallery is currently exhibiting "The Synapse Between Here and There", a solo show of new works by Tran Nguyen. These works have a look that blends early 20th century fantasy illustration and Art Nouveau. Yet, there is a compassionate quality that allows the viewer to empathize and identify with the imagery. These are not aesthetic icons, to be kept separate and above the viewer. They are like beautifully designed Rorschach patterns, into which the viewer may engage their own creativity to impart a personal significance to the work.

Perhaps a better analogy than a projective test is to consider these images as "dreamscapes" to which the viewer brings their own distinct interpretation. The art has no "correct" meaning, but instead holds a multiplicity of meanings as determined by the current psychological disposition of the interpreter. That's how I understand the title of this show. It is not about the Object or the Subject but about the Communicative Impulse between them.



Just Another Oscillant Deposition (2011) by Tran Nguyen


Certainly, there is a guiding parameter which is expressed by the title and by the use of colors, shapes, and compositional arrangements. These are not infinitely open abstractions. Nevertheless, these works possess a fertile ambiguity similar to that found in classic Symbolist aesthetics, such as in the works of Gustav Klimt.

Gala of the Grotesque

Untitled #2 (2011) by Scott Radke

"Burlap" is the title of an exhibit at Thinkspace Gallery, featuring the mixed media sculptures of Scott Radke. It's an interesting show but a bit difficult to accurately describe. The problem lies in the nature of the art works themselves. They have a shifting narrative premise based upon their current environment. To a degree, these are not self-contained sculptures, but focal points to an improvised installation artwork.

The show consists of a series of sculptures and some photographs of these pieces, generally within a evocative setting. The sculptures are of chimerical figures of a "fairy tale" nature. They are gnome-like fey creatures. Some are humanoid in their general appearance, but others are animals or flowers with gnomish faces. The majority of them are covered in a dark sackcloth material either as clothing or skin. It is from this rich material that the show derives it name, "Burlap".

I really enjoyed looking at them. Each piece had a distinct "personality" and expressive presence. The craftsmanship of their design was excellent. These chimerical figures really captured my imagination.



Bird #5 (2011) by Scott Radke


And it's in the imaginative engagement that the pieces become especially noteworthy.

This Time I'm Doing It

While You Wait for Another (2011) By Pakayla Rae Biehn

It's been a long time since I've visited a gallery on the opening night of an exhibit. I'm more of a late Thursday afternoon art haunt. Well, this Saturday I decided to change up the routine and attend an opening. Thinkspace Gallery in Culver City is one of my favorite venues and the show included art by Pakayla Rae Biehn, an artist towards whom I have great admiration. The show was entitled "Being There" and also featured the work of Jeff Ramirez, a hyperrealistic painter.

And so I braved actual contact with people to bring you this report. ;-)



Sissy Spacek (2011) by Jeff Ramirez

Both artists featured in "Being There" are big on realism in detail and figural representation, but seem to avoid clear facial depictions. This creates a tension in the image between the specific and the ambiguous. This may be the aesthetic theme of the show. The meticulous realism of the details creates a basis or "ground" for a coherent sense of actuality; there is something there. However, the missing piece or obscurement undermines this coherence. Both artists create this tension in different manners.