Suk Choo Kim - Great Britain

December 6 – January 12, 2011

Artist reception: Arts! Arcata, December  9, 6-8:30 p.m.

STATEMENT FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHER:

My wife and I traveled to Great Britain, our first experience in this foreign land.  Growing up in Korea, Great Britain was not a subject within our school’s curriculum nor did we pursue its study as adults residing in the United States.  It was clear the country was rich in its own history, yet it was a history absolutely unknown to us.

In many ways, this degree of ignorance was liberating.  We had the privilege to experience the country freely through our senses – engaging its shapes and colors, focusing on the visuals independent from its historical context. We carried no preconceived ideas of what we would find there and so, everything was new.

These images capture for me, the essence of the British Isles we discovered, the country we brought home to remember.

(Special event on the opening night :  Introduction of Folio Project)

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Stock Schlueter – Other Work

November 1 – December 2, 2011

Artist reception: Arts! Arcata, November  11, 6-8:30 p.m.

STATEMENT FROM THE ARTIST:

“This show is a combination of paintings that show a different side of the work that I do. I am known for my landscapes but have always liked painting people working, and in poses where they don’t know that they are being observed. Also there are some works purely from imagination.  And some show a less serene side of nature.”

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Ellen Land-Weber

Underwater Archaeology: Fantasies of a Snorkeler

showing through September 29, 2011

Reception during Arts! Arcata: September 9th from 6-8:30 pm

Ellen Land-Weber will be giving a talk, “Secrets of Photo Collage” in the gallery on Friday September 16, at 5PM. All are welcome.

1063 G Street, Arcata, CA

Artist Statement:

I have been snorkeling off the North Shore of Kauai for many years, with each swim discovering marine creatures that are new and fantastic to me (although common enough to the experts). Photographing that environment is a particular challenge since everything is in motion—me, the water, the fish–and the fish don’t generally stop for a pose. Add in the need for good light and clear water–highly unpredictable conditions that change very quickly–and the difficulties increase. But all that is insignificant against the double pleasure of swimming in the warm ocean while entering another realm as a mostly unnoticed observer. It is a visceral experience that is hard to explain, but deeply satisfying.

With my background in art history, I am also attracted to the statuary of ancient cultures and civilizations. On my frequent travels I seek out museums displaying these treasures, where I am usually allowed to take photos. Despite being far removed from their place of discovery, and the impossibility of truly understanding their original inspiration or purpose, these antique representations of the human form still exude a powerful aura. The five millennia-old, but strangely modern-looking Cycladic figures from Greek islands are a perfect example of the mystery. We call each female sculpture a mother-goddess or a fertility symbol, but really, we don’t have a clue. When it comes to the classical period of ancient Greece, we are much better informed, but are still powerless to enter the mind-set of the people for whom these statues were made. We make up our own stories.

The photo-collages you see here are inspired by the double mystery—the ocean environment and ancient worlds—with a good dose of fantasy thrown in. I make up my own “stories” about what they could mean. I hope viewers will do the same.

Ellen Land-Weber

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showing through August 26, 2011

Reception during Arts! Arcata: August 12th from 6-8:30 pm

1063 G Street, Arcata, CA

Farm Scenes, a show of watercolors by Alan Sanborn is on exhibit through the month of August. Many North Coast residents will recognize that each year the North Coast Grower’s Association chooses a painting of Alan’s for their annual Farmers’ Market poster. The posters are often seen gracing the windows of many a retail storefront. The works on display provide a unique opportunity to view a series of farm related imagery while enjoying the artistry behind the posters.

“About a third of the work I do is centered around the family farms in this area,” said Sanborn. “It’s a sort of homage to a group of people who are doing some of the most important work of all — not only bringing us whole, healthy food, but also keeping alive the timeless knowledge of how to grow food sustainably.”

“This body of work has more to do with day-to-day movement on farms — the small moments between all the work in progress.”

To see more of Alan’s work visit his website at: http://www.alansanbornart.com/

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Showing July 6 – July 29, 2011

Reception during Arts! Arcata: July 8th from 6-8:30 pm (1063 G Street, Arcata, CA)

Our exhibit for the month of July features a collection of collaborative dream paintings by Richard Duning and Madeline McMurray. For over four years McMurray and Duning have been using the images and messages of dreams as source material for their paintings. Dream images, like doorways, are openings: openings into imagination and creativity, as well as openings into personal and archetypal understandings. A shared interest in art and psychology has drawn Duning and McMurray into a unique art/dream process in which two dreams are brought together to awaken a third image that organically grows into the finished work.

The friendship between Duning and McMurray goes back for at least two decades. Over the years they have shared not only dreams and art, but also thoughts on the sacred, psychology, myths, relationships; as well as their questions around the search, the discovery, the puzzle, and the authentic journey.

Madeline McMurray has lived in Humboldt County for over thirty years. She has retired from HSU where she was a lecturer in the Religious Studies Department. She has authored two books, a variety of articles and two videos. Madeline has been exhibiting paintings and masks locally since 2001. She also maintains a practice in Marriage and Family Therapy in Eureka.

Richard Duning originally came to Humboldt County to attend HSU as an art major in 1963. He worked as a photographer for many years and taught photography at CR. In 1977 he began painting and since then has exhibited his work locally, regionally and nationally. Art as archaeology of the soul is his path.

- Images and text courtesy of the artists.

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showing through June 30, 2011.

Reception during Arts! Arcata: June 10th from 6-8:30 pm (1063 G Street, Arcata, CA)

Artist Statement:

I have been photographing almost continually since high school. The photographs for this exhibit cover a span of 30 years and represents some of my favorite images from my early days to the present.

Since first observing a print developing in its tray at Arcata High, I was lost to the magic of photography….watching it gain in contrast and definition as if the scene were emerging from a deep Humboldt fog, barreling out of the Other World and bursting into this One. In addition to this “magic” I was also mesmerized by the medium’s ability to represent incredible honesty and directness as practiced by those I most admired such as Edward Weston, Paul Strand, Henri Cartier-Bresson, and others.

I still photograph basically the same way as when using my first 8 x 10 view camera many years ago; I shoot full frame maximizing the full use of sheet film (or digital sensor) without cropping. Rarely have I ever made any significant deviation from the original exposed negative or digital file. Nowadays however, most of my printing is with my pigment inkjet printers (instead of the darkroom).

- Peter Canclini

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Spring 2011 Selection

showing through May 31, 2011

Reception during Arts! Arcata: May 13th from 6-8:30 pm

1063 G Street, Arcata, CA

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Reconsidering the Humboldt Landscape

showing through April 29, 2011

Reception during Arts! Arcata: April 8th from 6-8:30 pm (1063 G Street, Arcata, CA)

The HSU Photography Club is showing a collection of photographs entitled,  Reconsidering the Humboldt Landscape. Photographers include Gregory Cavallaro, Colleen Chalmers, Jennifer Goolsby, Billy Green, Joseph Hiller, Benjamin Jackson, Mary Luong, Aaron Morris and Helen Sanderson.

photograph above by Jennifer Goolsby.

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Hang It – Curtis Otto

showing through April 1, 2011

Reception during Arts! Arcata: March 11th from 6-8:30 pm

Curtis Otto has been working on what he refers to as the ‘Bag Series’. “I got this idea,” he explained. “I found this old burlap bag and it had stenciled letters on it, and that really turned me on, so I thought, why not stick some paintings on it?”

The idea led to a series featuring groups of “related” paintings, mounted to any surface Otto found interesting: burlap feed sacks, torn strips of dyed or gessoed canvas, paper bags with handles, discarded plywood. This particular theme has absorbed the artist for several years, resulting in dozens of original pieces he created from existing work.

“Hang It”, an exhibition of examples from this series, is currently on display at the Upstairs Art Gallery in Arcata. “I think the show looks really amazing,” said gallery curator Suk Choo Kim. “The work was a challenge to hang, but I’m really happy with the results.”

The paintings in the exhibit are all oils on square boards, something typical of the artist. “A square is the perfect design shape,” said Otto.

The artist describes his style as Expressionism, a way of painting characterized by bold brushwork and interpretive color. Although Otto is a self-taught artist, he objects to the term. “I didn’t really teach myself. I learned from all those Expressionists, all those guys who liked the juicy paint and color – Matisse and Derain and that bunch, the Society of Six out of Oakland, DeKooning and Van Gogh. I learned from every painting I ever looked at.”

To see a Quicktime virtual tour click here. A new window will appear, click and drag within the image to move around the gallery.

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