Exhibition at Golden West College

I was surprised to be ID'ed as a Golden West College student in the 3/9 edition of "The Western Sun," by writer Jamie Corpuz, but delighted to see a repro of my work. Apparently a new printmaking medium has also been invented...the linograph, where Bavarian limestone meets cork, burlap & linseed oil? It just goes to illustrate the continuing confusion about what defines printmaking - not exactly aided by the prevalence of what amounts to posters marketed as "limited edition prints." Aargh & dadburn that just makes my blood roil & makes me want to cuss like both a pirate & a 49er. Glicée? Just another highbrow marketing word for poster. No respect. As lithographer Cynthia Osborne always says: "We are the Rodney Dangerfields of the art world."

OK, now I'll step off my soapbox & grudgingly admit that the wide spectrum of so many various techniques & methodologies in my beloved field of endeavor can also establish a certain amount of head scratching. I'll also cop to the fact that (gasp) we printmakers also either include digitally printed images in our work (something John Greco has called the "tradigital") or jettison the "traditional" part of that newly-minted trope & opt for the purely digital. However, generally speaking, not in "editions" of 700 or greater.

"Sight Readings"

Here are 2 photos of my latest woodcut right before it went under the Plexiglas & into the frame for the Fresno exhibition. The lurid green Croc on my foot & tape measure provide however inadvertently, some sense of scale.

Printed on banana paper, there's a somewhat transparent white layer (linoleum-cut) printed under the woodcut matrix. The latter is printed in grey. Working with the banana paper was a bit dodgy, as the small embedded fiber orts caused it either not to successfully print via the press, or (worse still) caused the paper to tear. This meant rubbing by hand via a wooden spoon to reinforce the light areas, & making many small repairs from the back.

The "Art Space Gallery" shot shows the print in situ, with Matt Hopson-Walker (teaches printmaking at CSU Fresno), Nick Spohrer (teaches printmaking at Fresno City College) & Nick's student, Ryan Collins fore & aft.

Finally - My Name in Lights...sort of

Soooo, my exhibition was part of the Fresno "Art Hop" last evening, & I was duly impressed to see that my image "Core" had been considerably blown-up & turned into campus signage. My immediate thought was how much more impressive it was at a larger scale, & why didn't I have enough tenacity to create it that way to begin with? Ah well - pointless rumination, I know.

Anyway, back to last night. I'm trying to be sly, not at all obvious in my attempts to take a few shots of this billboard, when an excited young man runs up to tell me that he's doing the lighting for the play "The Ballad of Chet" (as seen immediately to the right of my image). Not wishing to burst his bubble, I asked him if it was about the life of legendary jazz trumpeter & heroin addict Chet Baker. The blank look on his unlined face told all, including the fact that he no doubt found me to be a daft woman of a "certain" age. Clearly he had no notion of who Chet Baker was. At that point, I didn't want to linger, forlornly looking for my name in lights on the big electronic messaging board. Notice gentle reader, how these blighted things have now become ubiquitous on every university, college & high school campus. To counter, might I propose a listen to David Wilcox' gentle paean titled: "Chet Baker's Unsung Swan Song," & yes, I am going to look for that certain hotel while in Amsterdam this summer (but it would be entirely too ghoulish to book a room there).

Oh yes, my show runs until 3/17...or even a bit beyond that, should the fates allow. As it's hard to read on the repro'ed invite, the show is located in the "Art Space Gallery," Fresno City College, 1101 East University Avenue, Fresno, CA

As much as I'd like to seem really technologically savvy, I can't actually take credit for the QR scanner code for smart phones on the back of the exhibition announcements. Vexingly, it's been the only thing folks have been giving me props for. Perhaps it will provide the impetus for me to finally finish (and actually post) my web-site. Another New Year's resolution dumped by the side of the road.

Printmaking, Printmaking and Printmaking

This exhibition (I'm honored to be included in) opens on 3/3/11, from 7 - 9 PM. If you print out the invitation & place it on your dashboard, you can park for free (but only in the Gothard Street lot, right off of McFadden). Perhaps some of you can go to this opening in my stead? Take many photos? I've competing openings on the 3rd and previously committed myself elsewhere - in the words of writer Fay Weldon: "Nothing Happens, and nothing happens, and then everything happens."

At any rate, I'm in happy & good company - owing to my current student Lindsay Buchman (showing her large collagraphs of Manhattan cityscapes), and my former student Annie Stromquist (exhibiting her mixed-media prints - serigraphs, monotypes & etchings). Annie has written a very straight forward book on serigraphy titled: "Simple Screenprinting: Basic Techniques," and currently teaches printmaking at Long Beach City College. She was featured in an exhibition I curated with my Art History 365 class a few years ago titled: "Evaluation Inversion," held in the CSULB Design Gallery. Mistress-of-the-Collagraph (and my friend) Vinita Voogd will be showing her stunning prints (the "Vinita" method) at the Golden West venue. Vinita, along with Professor Darrell Ebert curated the exhibition. I've linked all 3 of them in on this blog, should you wish to peruse their oeuvres further.

The address: Golden West College, 15744 Goldenwest Street, Huntington Beach, CA, 714/895-8772 for further info. Gallery hours run Monday - Friday, 10AM - 2PM, with the gallery being open on Wednesday nights from 6-8PM. The gallery is closed on the weekend, and the exhibition closes on 3/24/2011.

THESE HANDS featuring Harry Diaz

Through February 27
Harry Diaz at CSUF Grand Central Art Center, Sales Gallery
These Hands is a body of work that explores the ambiguities of cultural identity and the difficulty one encounters communicating in a new society. Serigraphy, which has a long tradition in Latin American art, affords me many serendipitous opportunities and allows me to evolve the imagery through the layering process. -Harry Diaz

CAL STATE FULLERTON GRAND CENTRAL ART CENTER
125 N. Broadway Santa Ana, CA 92701 :: General Phone: 714.567.7233

The Cal State Fullerton Grand Central Art Center is a 45,000 square-foot, half-city block deep and full city-block long, three-level structure and houses: live/studio spaces for visual arts graduate students, the Grand Central Gallery, the Project room, the Grand Central Theater, Watermark Press, the Gypsy Den Café, a Rental and Sales gallery, classrooms and computer lab, Community room and computer lab, and a studio and living space dedicated to the center’s international artist-in-residence program.

The Grand Central Art Gallery and Project Room feature exhibitions and projects by internationally noted artists, presenting four to six exhibitions a year in each space. The Sales Gallery offers new exhibitions each month.

Watermark Printmaking is a private business run by owner James Lorigan, a master printmaker and artist, the contracted printer for most of the Grand Central Press projects which publishes limited edition prints, folio editions and catalogues.

Camilla Taylor exhibiting at Salt Lake City's Kayo Gallery

Camilla Taylor is currently exhibiting at Salt Lake City's Kayo Gallery which shows cutting edge, progressive art by local, national and international artists. Artists are offered total control over their exhibit, allowing them to fully realize their unique perspectives. http://www.kayogallery.com/

Check out Camilla’s photostream:

and website for details…

Irvine Fine Arts Center celebrates its' newest addition: printmaking!

Tomorrow --Saturday February 12th-- Irvine Fine Arts Center (IFAC) will be celebrating the launch of their newest studio: a printmaking shop. They are lucky enough to have multiple presses and other equipment donated by the family of Patrick Merrill. The shop is now bursting with creativity from 2 Vandercook Letterpresses, a pilot tabletop press, as well as a few etching presses including a 36"x72" manual Ettan press and proofing presses. The Fine Arts Center will be offering classes in various forms of printmaking including but not limited to: etching, letterpress, monotype aquatint and more. They also offer open studio hours for use of the etching press as well as the letterpresses. The rates are approximately $15 Per house (2 hr min.), $13 for Irvine residents or $55 for 5 hours, $51 for Irvine residents. These are subject to change, call ahead for current rates. 949.724.6881
The reception is from 12-2 on Saturday, it will include light refreshments and open studio viewing.