Prints at the Getty Museum

Prints at the Getty, Reviewed by Lindsay McGee


     While visiting the current "Recent Prints Acquisitions" at the Getty, I was most drawn to Carl Wilhelm Kolbe the Elder's piece entitled Fantastic Oak Tree in the Woods, a nineteenth century etching/engraving. At first, I was more impressed by some of the other prints displayed, particularly one titled Light, by the French Symbolist artist Odilon Redon, namely because he is one of my favorite artists and I hadn't before realized that he worked in printmaking.
     However, upon looking at the Fantastic Oak Tree for a second time, I became absorbed by the artist's attention to detail, as well as the drawing of a landscape that depicts a single tree in the midst of an expansive forest; all rendered fairly realistically.
     In the lower right-hand corner of the print there is a man with a quiver of arrows slung on his back. The man is sitting on the ground, facing the tree, which is extremely large in comparison. He could almost go unnoticed, given his size in relation to the rest of the print and the egalitarian manner in which he and the rest of the forest are rendered; neither stealing the other's attention. I could almost imagine sitting in a secluded forest, with the quietude of nature replacing freeway static and an expansive wilderness in place of the urban landscape, which is why I chose to write about this piece. I believe the mark-making and the method chosen for this print lends itself well to the content.
     I recently saw a video of Stephen Colbert interviewing astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, during which Tyson stated: "Some of the greatest poetry is revealing to the reader the beauty in something that was so simple you had taken it for granted." Similarly, I think this print has achieved the same level of success in that Kolbe the Elder has revealed to the viewer the beauty of a simplistic scene of a forest wilderness through such a complex process and a high attentiveness to detail.

Note from RS: Carl Wilhelm Kolbe the Elder is so obscure that he doesn't merit a mention in Linda C. Hults definitive work "Prints of the Western World." He was a German artist who began his career somewhat later in life, teaching art and the French language. Because of his fascination with depicting just such trees as Lindsay notes, he was nicknamed "Eichen" (Oak) Kolbe. 

Review by Crystal Alexander

The Getty Research Institute: Recent Print Acquisitions
Through September 2 | The Getty Center | Crystal Alexander

This show was quite lovely, very intimate; the fact that it was in the Getty Research Institute allows the observer to separate themselves from the rest of the museum and escape to a separate small dark space.  Dark blue walls give the space a cold feeling, yet the prints that adorn the space give a warmth that fills the space and eases the viewer, allowing them comfort as they navigate the space, being drawn into pieces that seem to radiate consolation.

A huge variety exists in the works displayed, from Dürer to the Bauhaus movement, with particular emphasis on Albrecht Dürer. As one is drawn in by the work, a wall filled with woodcuts cannot be avoided. At first the viewer may be overwhelmed by its large presence in the space; this feeling is only compounded by the painstaking details that make up Albrecht Dürer’s “The Life of the Virgin” series, nineteen illustrations for a book. The pages fill the wall, yet the piece; The Adoration of the Magi, (1501-02) struck me in particular.

As a Christian in America, I am extremely familiar with manger scenes at churches and on street corners during the Christmas holiday season depicting the same scene that Dürer is visually describing in this piece; however his print is quite different from the scenes that I am used to seeing. The Adoration of the Magi doesn’t feel like an addition to this world…like a series of objects simply resting in our space, his work feels like its own world, something completely foreign, yet so familiar, and comforting.

The scale is very effective; the piece is quite small, drawing the viewer in to admire the details of the master’s hand.  The Christ is the first thing that one’s eye is drawn to, followed by the Virgin and Joseph; the eye is subsequently led, (through the use of an archway) to the first of the Magi. Along this visual path, one gets their first glance at the architecture rendered in the piece.  Rather than a manger, the viewer can see the Virgin presenting her child amongst stone buildings. Grass grows from the cracks in stone, and we are exposed to a variety of textures and details, allowing us to feel the scene with our eyes. A tipping point is thus reached, and the viewer finally falls into the scene.

The Magi are meant (as the title proclaims) to adore, however the viewer adores the standing Magus. We savor the details of the headpiece he wears, and are left in awe of the skill needed to depict him with such luxury, such detail.  His exquisite hand gestures, to lead our eyes to look at the third remaining King. I am amazed at the life the master, Albrecht Dürer, is able to give to this figure, through a small series of inked lines on a paper, he summons up the ability to control our eyes, to control us.

We are lead through to the remaining Magi, from top to bottom. The lower Magi uses a feather to lead our eye up the staircase created by the ruins, where our eye can further appreciate the stunning detail of the architecture Dürer has created.  We are brought up to the heavens, to the angels by the master. We are then drawn to a small window on a tower that has stretched up to meet us, and we wonder what could be inside the window? Who it is that occupies this room? Our curiosity is left behind, as we jump to a nearby star, its rays both drawing us in and lead us back down, to a thatched wooded structure that covers the Magi. Finally, we exit the composition on the lower left side, greeting a dog on our way out.

Review of Camilla Taylor Exhibition by Jesse Cook

Jesse Cook
5/10/12
Exhibition Review
I was excited to visit the opening of Camilla Taylor's show at the Art Walk of downtown Santa Ana on none other than Cinco de Mayo, 2012.  I'd been to the Santora art building there before and had enjoyed the galleries showcasing the work of local artists; but I had never had the pleasure of visiting the scene during an Art Walk.

It was especially popping that night due to the holiday, and there were festivities, food, carnival rides, crafts and of course, fine art.  I visited the Orange County Center for Contemporary Art (OCCCA) for the first time and was impressed with some of skilled works on display.

When I arrived at Taylor's show, the first thing that caught my attention was that everything in the exhibition, both the prints and the sculptural pieces, were all done in flat black colors and were all strongly related.  The "print" that first caught my eye was of a character who reminded me of a hybrid between Tweedle-Dee or Tweedle-Dum and Humpty Dumpty.  His head was egg-shaped and his extremities poured onto the floor.

The show was bustling with visitors, and a group was taking pictures next to the work. The prints were all of a large nature and done with the same tonal qualities.  Their was a strong unity to the show's theme.  The imagery was dark and the fabric sculptures looked as though some of the wall prints had come to life in three dimensions.  The sculptural pieces reminded me of flat black sofa pillows that had grown four spiderly legs and crawled into the floorspace.  One of the creatures even had shiny black buttons sewn onto the body and legs.  The creatures and the prints had a morbid quality to them.

I was interested in the show and the quality of the printwork, as well as the bustle of the art lovers and the festivities of the Art Walk.  I celebrated the holiday with my friends by ordering local carne asada tacos and Mexican "chongo" ice cream (which tastes like cinammon cake batter and is now one of my favorites).  The whole experience made for a very interesting and very festive evening out on Cinco de Mayo--one I won't soon forget.

*Note from RS - These photos of headless four-leggeds are actually ones I took during Camilla's MFA exhibition opening at CSULB. I included a shot with Carol Shaw-Sutton, who (in addition to providing Camilla with excellent guidance on her committee) helps to provide a sense of scale for the ambitious work. 

Review of Original Copy

ORIGINAL COPY Printmaking Exhibition, a review by Lucy Ruggirello

What can one say about the Original Copy exhibition at Cypress College other than it was great and the artworks on display were exquisite. The first work that caught my eye was by artist Zoltan Janvary. His Travel Notes: IV Statue, 2010, intaglio engraving, looks like a hollowed out face mask and shoulders lying sideways with deep dark shadows, white gridlines and highlights. The title of this work is appropriate. The sepia-toned color of the background visually reminds one of an antiquated explorer’s map. The facial expression of the mask appears serene and relaxed, as if traveling through time into another dimension without any specific destination.

I was truly in awe at the amazing detail in this work and what seemed like millions of tiny lines which created the image. The white highlighted areas were quite dramatic and gave it an out of this world celestial overtone.

Also, I enjoyed viewing the print by artist Chris Natrop titled Dewdrop Reflex – pink (ed of 7), 2008, silkscreen print with colored ink & iridescent medium.

This artwork definitely has more of a feminine feel being pink with iridescent sparkles throughout. The varying shades of pink and overlaying effect give it depth, a three dimensional quality that appears both delicate and tough. Its title reads Dewdrop Reflex but the image strongly resembles an insect or a butterfly or some kind of sea creature.

Artist Wayne Kimball’s lithograph titled Two Seriously Diseased Feet, 1995, was also very interesting.

The transition of color on the feet from blue-green to pink-purple to a yellow-gold aesthetically achieves the description of “diseased.” I’m reminded of a nasty bruise that turns different colors during its process of healing. However this image does not seem to be about healing but of the broken up and severed pieces of people’s lives. Perhaps more about people who have become hardened and disillusioned by their daily struggles? The composition of this work really fascinates me. I’m not sure about the message the artist desired to convey. I have to wonder if the artist’s depiction of diseased feet implies an overall reflection of the state of the unseen portion of the statue which is non-existent. And why would one place feet on a cold, stone platform? Whatever this artist’s inspiration was, it certainly makes one think. I really love this piece.

I very much enjoyed attending the opening of the Original Copy Exhibit as it was well executed with examples of a variety of printmaking techniques. It was also quite informative. Once again, the artworks on display were really superb.

Note from RS - The "Diseased Feet" appear to be standing on litho stones.

The Company I'm Keeping

My sincere hope is that these images by Wayne Kimball (severed feet on plinth); Zoltan Janvary (severed, yet serenely floating head); & Chris Natrop (Dewdrop Reflex - Moss) will entice at least a few of you to venture into Orange County on a Thursday night. I can't vouch that all or any of these exact prints will be on display, but I'm certain that whatever is on the walls will be equally extraordinary.

Collagraph Prints, 3 Variations on a Theme

The work addresses the issue of a disconnect from nature, essentially remaking the natural world in our own image, taming it and subjecting it to the strict modern grid. The bear has been completely removed from its element and placed in an environment in which even organic objects are scripted and alienated. The background grid represents the bars of a cage, but also the rigid rubric of Euclidean city planning. Even the color palette serves to disassociate the natural objects from the earthtones they usually evoke. The third large piece gives the impression of footsteps imprinted in soft earth, but around the edges begins to glow with a nearly neon aura, further separating the natural and man-made.

I think that if the elements from the "Vinita Voogd method" collages were applied to the larger prints, the architectural lines found in the collage would further contrast the organic shapes. The overall appearence is very illustrative and playful in a kind of fairy tale way. The foreground is whimsical but the background is austere, as if trying to reconcile the world of childhood with the world of adulthood. In one world, the bear is not yet ferocious, but a kind of imaginary friend, gentle and intrigued by umbrellas. It is enclosed in the quilted dream bubble of youth, but faces an encounter with a more severe environment in the future. Its enclosure is pressed on every side, even invaded by a more dangerous looking shape, but it still holds against the outside.

The public symbolism of blue makes me perceive the bear as a male, although the overall composition is not distinctively masculine. This symbolism and the other themes addressed makes me think of the work of Mike Kelley, where the world of childhood and the pathetic was confronted with the depravity of adulthood.

Original Copy - Printmaking Exhibition

Just a bit hard to fathom a print room with wall to wall carpeting...Kinko's with Charles Brand Presses! Clean hands! Ah, the wonders of Photoshop.

So, here's the poster & directions for my upcoming exhibition @ Cypress College. The opening on Thursday 2/23, from 6 - 8 PM, promises to be well...a youthful blast. Chris Natrop will be screenprinting his work on T-Shirts, DJ Neil Schield from Origami Vinyl will be spinning discs, & it will be catered. I doubt that Neil Schield will be playing any of my Bollywood favs ("Tunak, Tunak Tunak"; "Ha La La La"; or "Pappu Can't Dance") but a gal can wish upon a Bhangra star!

While I'm representing the woodcut end of things, Wayne Kimball's incredible tour de force lithographic color prints will also be on display. Chris Natrop's holding down the screenprinting court & Zoltan Janvary's intaglio prints cover that medium. At least 2 of us should be about, along with curator Carleton Christie. Rumor has it that Wayne might be there?

Happy Belated Valentine's Day & year of the Black H20 dragon (my year)!

(I'm now on twitter @ RoxSexauer, should you wish to follow my terse 140 character posts).

RS

Hope to see at least a few folks "in the house"...as they say.