No. 2 • Summer 2020
Art & Culture • Santa Barbara • Ventura • Central Coast California • A Free Magazine
LUMARTZINE
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SUMMER 2020
LUM ART Z I NE • N o . 2 E d i t o r- i n - Ch i e f Debr a Her r ic k , Ph D Art Di rect o r A r t ur o Her edia S o to W ri t ers B ay Hallowell Ja ne Handel A udr ey Lopez Cait lin O ’Har a Tom P az der k a A lex andr a T er ry P h o t o g rap h ers Ray Roger s M ar iana S c hulz e lu mart z i n e. co m C o n tr ib u to r s Ja im e B ailon Noelle B ar r K it B ois e- Cos s a rt A lex a M . Highs mi th M aiz a Hix s on M adeleine E v e Ig n o n S k y lar Lines A ly s s a Long B r ian P aum ier M ar s hall S har p e B r enda T an Co ver P h o t o g r a p h : R a y R o g e rs , Be a rs It A ll, 35m m ne g a ti v e a n d tra n s p a re n c y film . S p eci al T h an k s Nor t on Her r ic k Jo hn C. Conne l l y Laur a M ac k er J o h n s to n Fr eder ic k J ank a M ic hael V anS try
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LUMARTZINE
CONTENTS
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28
10
32
14
36
18
39
Contemporary Craft, Collective Care Tanya Aguiñiga By Audrey Lopez
Working, Dwelling, Thinking Mark Churchill By Tom Pazderka
Lost Light Photo Story by Ray Rogers
Think Piece • The Art World's Grim Fate Online By Tom Pazderka
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A Curator’s Love Story Genevieve Gaignard By Alexandra Terry
Meandering the Edges Nathan Huff In Conversation with Bay Hallowell
Still Waters Run Deep Victoria Pearson By Jane Handel
Metal Teepee • Artist Profile Michael Matheson By Caitlin O’Hara
Gold vs Black
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At First Brushstroke Hiroko Yoshimoto Haikus by Teiko Yoshimoto Translated by Shoko Yoshimoto Miura
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Threshold Spaces • Rethinking the Figure during Quarantine By Debra Herrick
SUMMER 2020
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CONTRIBUTORS
JANE HANDEL Jane Handel is a writer, artist, publisher of SpiderWoman Press, editor and art dealer specializing in vintage works on paper. janehandelart.com
CAITLIN O’HARA Caitlin O’Hara is a senior writer and publicist at UCSB Arts & Lectures. Her expertise is in promoting arts & culture projects.
BAY HALLOWELL Bay Hallowell is an artist, curator and gallery committee chairperson at the Architectural Foundation of Santa Barbara. bayhallowell.com
TOM PAZDERKA Tom Pazderka is an artist and writer. He holds an MFA from UCSB where he was a regents fellow and artist in residence. His work and writing have been published in 3:AM Magazine, Philosophical Salon, Dandelion Journal, Dark Mountain and LA Weekly, among others. IG: @tompazderka • tompazderka.com
ARTURO HEREDIA SOTO Arturo Heredia Soto is publisher and art director of Lum Art Zine. A fine artist, exhibition designer and art handler, he is the current exhibition designer for Santa Barbara County Office of Arts and Culture and the former head preparator and exhibition designer of the Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara. art@lumartzine.com DEBRA HERRICK Lum Art Zine publisher and editor Debra Herrick holds a PhD from UCSB and is the former senior managing editor of the Journal of Mexican Studies (UC Press). She has contributed to various publications, such as Artillery Art Magazine, Réplica21, Carpinteria Magazine and Coastal View News, where she is also managing editor. editor@lumartzine.com NATHAN HUFF Nathan Huff is an artist and associate professor of art at Westmont College. nathanhuff.com AUDREY LOPEZ Audrey Lopez is a curator currently completing her PhD at UCSB. She is the public art and engagement fellow for the Santa Barbara County Office of Arts & Culture and the former curator of community engagement at the Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara.
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RAY ROGERS Ray Rogers is an artist based in Santa Barbara. “When the world feels like a dark place...a lick of light.” raychelindsayrogers.com MARIANA SCHULZE Photographer Mariana Schulze began her career studying art direction in Buenos Aires, Argentina. After settling in Ojai seventeen years ago, Schulze’s work became iconic within the spirited bohemian California lifestyle. IG: @nothinmyst • marianaschulze.com ALEXANDRA TERRY Alexandra Terry is the curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara, where she has organized exhibitions by Genevieve Gaignard, Barry McGee, Beatriz Olabarietta and Brian Rochefort. Until 2015, Terry was curator at MOP Foundation, a London-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting and supporting Iranian contemporary art.
LUM
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SUMMER 2020
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Tanya Aguiñiga
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Contemporary Craft, Collective Care By Audr ey L o p e z
A s Agui ñi ga shared memori es
a col l ecti ve of Maya w omen
fro m over 40 years of travel s
w eavers i n Mexi co, A gui ñiga
r ec ent ly s p e n t a F ri d a y a f -
th ro ugh B aj a w i th fami l y and
operates at the boundari e s of
t er noon i n B a j a C a l i fo rn i a
fri e n ds, I refl ected on how her
fi ber art, desi gn, craft and so -
wit h Los A n g e l e s -b a s e d a rt -
p ra c t i ce shapes and i s shaped
ci al practi ce.
is t , des ign e r a n d c ra fts p e r -
b y c onstant col l ecti ve moti on,
s on Tany a A g u i ñ i g a , s w e a t -
s tre t chi ng from bodi l y-based,
E ngagi ng w i th artmaki ng as
ing under th e s u n a s w e s e t
re p e ti ti ve
an opportuni ty to create m or e
up c am p o n th e e d g e o f th e
a n d l abor to l arger-scal e pat -
equi tabl e
S ea of Co rte z . Vi rtu a l l y, th a t
te rn s of human di aspora and
tw een peopl e, A gui ñi ga aim s
is . I was w a tc h i n g v i a l a p to p
mi g ra ti on. Grow i ng up i n Ti -
to decol oni ze and re-i nd ige -
f r om t he c o m fo rt o f m y fro n t
j u a n a and crossi ng the bor -
ni ze contemporary approa ch -
por c h
a
d e r d ai l y to go to school i n
es to craft, as w el l as cul ti vat e
in-
S a n D i ego, A gui ñi ga expl ores
spaces for margi nal i zed c om -
s ide a Volk s w a g e n v a n p a rk e d
th e
muni ti es
in her ba c k y a rd — w a l k e d u s
e mo ti onal
con -
ti ons that exhi bi t these w o r ks.
t hr ough a s l i d e s h o w o f h e r
n e c te d to those movements.
The l arge-scal e hand-w o ven
y ear ly
to
S h e uses craft as a perfor -
i nstal l ati ons and si te-specif -
B ahí a Con c e p c i ó n . T h e fi rs t
ma ti v e medi um to generate
i c fi ber scul ptures created by
ev ent
Tra v e l
d i a l ogue around i denti ty, cul -
her al l w omen/w omen-i de nt i -
wit h A r t is ts, A g u i ñ i g a ' s o n -
tu re and gender w hi l e creat -
fi ed team at Tanya A gui ñ iga
line gat heri n g w a s h o s te d b y
i n g communi ty. From fel ti ng
D esi gn S tudi o can be found
O jai’s Car o l y n Gl a s o e Ba i l e y
e n ti r e E ames chai rs i n bri ght
hangi ng i n contemporary ar t
F oundat ion a s a w a y to s u p -
c o l o rs to recover a fami l i ar
spaces across S outhern Cal -
por t ar t is t s b y tra v e l i n g w i th
s e n s e of w armth and home,
i forni a and the U S .
t hem — c oll e c ti v e l y a n d v i rtu -
to p erformi ng w eavi ng i nter -
ally — t o pl a c e s th a t p l a y k e y
v e n tions i n B everl y H i l l s us -
C atal yzed through her form a -
r oles in t h e i r p ra c ti c e s .
i n g t echni ques l earned from
ti ve w ork w i th the B order Ar t s
I
as
A g u i ñ i g a — fro m
Cov id- im p ro v i s e d
camping in
th e
s tu d i o
s o j o u rn
s e ri e s
gestures
personal
of
hi stori es
experi ences
craft
and
rel ati onshi ps
w i thi n
the
be -
i nst it u -
Metabolizing the Border performance, Jan. 14, 2020. Photograph by Gina Clyne. Courtesy of the artist.
SUMMER 2020
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Wo r k s hop/ Tallé r d e A rte F ro n te ríz o , A g u i ñ iga' s c om m it m e n t to c o m m u n i ty -b a s e d ar t and ac t iv is m u n d e rl i e s h e r A M BOS Projec t ( A r t M a d e Be tw e e n Op p o s i te Si des ) at t he U S /M e x i c o b o rd e r. F o u n d ed by A guiñiga i n 2 0 1 6 , A M BOS i s a n o n going s er ies of b i n a ti o n a l a rti s t i n te rv e n ti o ns and c om m u te r c o l l a b o ra ti o n s th a t se ek t o ex pr es s a n d d o c u me n t b o rd e r em ot ion while s tre n g th e n i n g c o mmu n i ty. Ranging f r om p a rti c i p a to ry fi b e r-b a s e d i n s t allat ions and y o u th -m a d e fi l ms to i n ter ac t iv e s ound p e rfo rm a n c e s , th e w o rk s nur t ur e a gr eat e r s e n s e o f i n te rc o n n e c t ednes s ac r os s m u l ti p l e b o rd e r c i ti e s . Cur r ent ly, A guiñ i g a i s w o rk i n g w i th AM BOS c om m unit y p a rtn e rs to h e l p c o o rd i nat e aid eff or t s fo r fi fte e n mi g ra n t/a s yl u m / depor t ee s h e l te rs i n Ti j u a n a i n n e e d of f inanc ial s up p o rt to p ro v i d e C o v i d -re l a t ed bas ic s upp l i e s . T h i s ty p e o f c o l l e c ti v e c ar e and c o mmu n i ty th ro u g h c ra ft i s so c r it ic ally nee d e d a t th i s m o m e n t.
Tany a A guiñiga i s th e 2 0 2 0 re c i p i e n t o f the Car oly n G l a s o e Ba i l e y F o u n d a ti o n Art P r iz e, awar d e d a n n u a l l y to a c o n te m por ar y Calif or ni a a rti s t.
Tanya Aguiñiga, Cosas que Sangran, 2020. Braided cotton rope, cochineal dye, heckled flax.
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LUMARTZINE
From felting entire Eames chairs in bright colors to recover a familiar sense of warmth and home, to performing weaving interventions in Beverly Hills using techniques learned from a collective of Maya women weavers in Mexico, Aguiñiga operates at the boundaries of fiber art, design, craft and social practice.
Left:Tanya Aguiñiga, Chair for Ray, 2014. Felted raw wool on Eames Wire Chair. Collection of Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), Gift of Margaret and Joel Chen. Right: Tanya Aguiñiga, Eames DCM, Found chair (molded plywood, stainless steel), hand-felted Goatland wool.
SUMMER 2020
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Working, Dwelling, Thinking Mark Churchill By Tom Pazderka
O
n
a
moonlit
Meiners
in
that we’ve entered a world out
the breath of Heidegger is
we
sit
of this time. Churchill is not a
discernible—handmade
by a fire, the flames slowly
man of this decade, or even
lying among various objects
lapping at the metal grating.
this century. Steeped in the
of the trade, shelves lined
Churchill’s ceramics will soon
tradition of ceramics, tracing
with books, a wooden lad-
be on display at The Basic
its heritage to 16th century
der, ceramics small and large
Premise,
Ojai,
Oaks
night
encased
in
Japan and Korea, he shares
among clothes, crates, pots
the reified light of the gallery,
a hardwork ethic and com-
and pans, drop cords, a spin-
waiting to be mentally prod-
mon language with his teach-
ning wheel encrusted in clay,
ded and hopefully sold to en-
ers—who have made their way
small shavings underneath a
thusiastic clientele.
to his studio and he to theirs
makeshift
table,
everything
over the years—but also with
interacting in and around the
But here in the setting of the
Martin
studio/home, Churchill’s piec-
man
es are embedded with the
famous
paraphernalia
everyday
concept of the Dasein or ‘be-
existence, enmeshed in their
ing-there’ and his almost nau-
Out of this ordered chaos,
surroundings. It feels strange
seating exegesis on tool use.
Churchill draws his work, by
of
Heidegger,
the
Ger-
conglomeration of buildings,
phenomenologist,
most
rooms and bespoken spaces
for
developing
the
that they’ll be seen outside of
10
tools
of Churchill’s studio.
doing work. It is the ‘doing’
this comfortable space where
Heidegger used notions of the
that is key, the doing that in
they are formed, built, interro-
mundane, the basic, and spe-
effect, does the heavy lift-
gated, glazed, fired and final-
cifically of work, to tease out
ing of the teleology itself.
ized. So much so do they form
the meaning of existence. His
Heidegger ’s
the space.
tools were paper and pen, and
sis in Being and Time is that
his tool kit was his brain. Here
‘man’—a human, a person, an
We’ve entered Churchill’s stu-
in the presence of the ‘thing-
individual—is ‘thrown’ into ex-
dio, and I have the feeling
ness’ of the artist’s studio,
istence.
central
the-
Mark Churchill in his Ojai studio. Photograph by Mariana Schulze. LUMARTZINE
S T U D IO V ISI T
SUMMER 2020
11
The double meaning of the
ture, the best of which were
chill has a great example of
act of throwing a pot is cru-
designed and made for the
a ‘failed’ moon jar. The water
cial here. It is as if the pot
emperor.
content was too high for the
is also thrown into existence and only then is it possible to real-
firing process, produc-
We’ve entered Churchill’s
ize the form or shape, The potter does have an ‘out,’ however, and
egg-shaped,
upside down pot that could
ei-
ther discard or reuse.
feeling that we’ve entered
Churchill opted for the
a world out of this time.
fascinating work bridg-
that is in the form itself. The basic shape
latter. The result is a ing his older, more tra-
of the pot may dictate
12
an
Churchill
studio, and I have the
the meaning of the pot.
ing
ditional pottery and his
what the pot is or what it can
Made of two separate parts
most
be used for—its basic func-
seamlessly joined at the mid -
which resembles totemic and
tion
Here
dle, the moon jar ’s structure
monolithic
Churchill brings up the form
and material, make it one of
visible a trajectory of thinking
of the moon jar, a highly rei-
the most difficult objects to
through the subject in tool-
fied shape from Japanese cul-
make
like forms.
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LUMARTZINE
non-function.
by
hand,
and
Chur-
recent
work,
most
of
objects—making
When
Churchill
speaks
about
his
work, one gets the sense of a world in which nothing matters and yet ev erything matters all at once, from the grand cycles that run our lives, day/ night, sleeping/waking, sun/moon, to the turning of the spinning wheel on which he casts his clay.
Churchill’s pots in his Ojai studio. Photographs by Tom Pazderka.
SUMMER 2020
13
Lost Light Photo Story by Ray Rogers
A
cross country road trip in our Astro van.
Somewhere between Seattle and the Carolina Coast, I picked up a camera. At eight, a camera of my own: a 35mm purple plastic Vivitar. . . Trips to the Photo Lab . . . waist deep in the dark of winter and
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LUMARTZINE
out my mom would emerge
Losing my 18 year old
from this humble, single-
brother, unexpectedly . . .
story building holding some
the light became fugitive.
miracle emulsions. A journey to recover the Weeks would ramble
bright spots and a renewed
forward and backward,
will to live in more loving
loop on and on . . . another
ways with the dueling
winter’s day . . . rain coming
conditions of life . . .
down in streams, bouncing
generously marrying sweet
over brick alleys with a
to sad.
piece of sunshine captured somewhere along the way.
Recovering lost light. The
Proof of light’s great power
figurative fugitive light.
even in a dark season. And with humor. A relief.
SUMMER 2020
15
A l l p h o t ogra ph s : R ay R oge r s , 35mm negative and t ra n s pa r e n c y fi l m.
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LUMARTZINE
SUMMER 2020
17
Think Piece The Art World’s Grim Fate Online By Tom Pazderka
I
’ve been writing a lot during Covid, but not a whole lot about art. I
wondered why since there was so much time to do a deep dive. Simply put, the art world experienced a demise unlike anything before. With over 50 percent of art workers out of work, cancelled and postponed shows, everything moving online into virtual spaces that hardly anybody cared for, myself included, in many ways, art died on the Ides of March. One wonders whether and how the art world will rebound. Is the art world dead or is it undead? The news is that Takashi Murakami and Jeff Koons are bankrupt. Even stalwarts of the scene like Robert Longo had his shows cancelled in the interim and had to temporarily suspend operations by either letting his studio assistants go or work from their homes. This is firsthand information from a friend of mine who works in Longo’s studio. If things are so dire for the blue-chip artists, how is the rest of the art world
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LUMARTZINE
faring? We will probably never know,
collectors just waiting—millions of
because the art world is not known
potential customers at the fingertips,
for its transparency, but rather for its
a click or a tap away—ttand that it is
glorified adherence to false positivi-
somehow simply an artist’s refusal
ty and hype in times of crisis. Any-
or negativity that’s preventing them
body still remember Damien Hirst’s
from success. This is a favorite sales
infamous auction when the world of
pitch of silver-tongued side-show
finance was collapsing around him?
barkers, committed to ferreting out
I want to review art shows, but
dollars from unwitting artists looking
there is nothing to review. I cannot
for a break and they’re all over the
count the hundreds of virtual exhi-
internet and the Gram. One day I’ll
bitions polluting the online commer-
have to write a whole essay just on
cial spaces no matter how sincere
the emails I get from these people.
the intentions behind them. I know; I’ve participated in a few and I fully
2.
In
and
of
themselves,
support the brave souls that tried,
pictures online have no meaning,
many of them are my friends and
they’re flattened, without context.
colleagues. But here are several
Instagramization of art reduces ev-
reasons why I don’t believe that the
erything to the ubiquitous square, so
move online was a good idea despite
that a four-inch drawing is unrecog-
the flimsy evidence to the contrary.
nizable from a twenty-foot painting. All traces of the human hand are
1.
Like many artists, I fully
erased, as is the lived experience.
take part in the online world, despite
The scribbles of a barely teenaged
my better judgement. I know my
child placed alongside an arts veter-
work is not commercial and that it
an of several decades, all meaning
requires prolonged viewing and ex-
and difference lost between them.
posure, yet I’m somehow convinced
The fact is that quickly recogniz-
that perhaps it is just a matter of
able images, witticisms and the re-
finding the ‘right’ audience. This is
actionary meme-culture are what is
patently false. Artists do not find
considered worthy to call art today.
their audiences, they create them,
This isn’t progress, but a regression
at least in theory. The biggest lie
into a culture of rote superstition run
about the online world is that there is
mostly on the fear of failure. Better
seemingly an inexhaustible amount
do whatever is pop and topical than
of people, art lovers, curators and
risk obscurity for saying something.
3.
Taking risks online is akin
popular belief. Unlike trolling, the
fulltime jobs for less than the min-
to getting into a car accident in a
point of adversarial art writing is to
imum wage. Does anybody think
Costco parking lot. There’s going to
inform, elucidate, educate, reveal.
that at the start of World War II there
be little damage, but a lot of yelling
There is hardly any revelation to be
were writers and journalists exhort-
and finger pointing, and eventually
seen in the online culture that isn’t
ing “welcome to the new normal?”
all will be forgotten. Placing any-
already an established form outside
thing online, no matter how trans-
of it. How can art truly be changed by
8.
gressive, will be ignored at best and
moving online if not for the worse?
immediate gratification and conve-
coopted and used by some kind
Pointing toward millions of views
nience, the online culture actually
of opposition at worst. Sheppard
and likes only satisfies the modern
increases the invisible and unac-
Fairey could tell tales about that.
obsession with metrics and arbitrary
countable
competition for no real visible gain
and being ignored is not only an ac-
and
other than money and fame. These
cepted form of online coexistence, it
privatized nature of online trib-
things crush creativity in favor of
is widely encouraged the further up
al culture, driven by sympathet-
shiny mediocrity and bold idiocy.
one goes in the various hierarchical
4.
The
individualized
ic algorithms, means that what is
Ironically, with its focus on
bureaucracy.
Ignoring
strata with algorithms specifically
generally seen, or allowed to be
6.
Once the safety of the
written to do just that. Since we are
seen, is art that everyone already
insulated online world is estab-
as a culture continually obliged and
agrees with, so what is the point of
lished, the ‘dangers’ of an exit into
compelled to follow in the footsteps
writing about it if one is looking for
the real world will be amplified.
of the ruling class, the next move
critical theory? I am painting with
beyond the algorithms is therefore
a pretty broad brush here (pun in-
7.
We’ve quietly accepted the
a logical step toward what Slavoj
tended), but the last thing I want
internet as our new normal, an aug-
Zizek prescribes as a formal solu-
to write are mildly laudatory texts
mented version of reality. But the on-
tion to the troubles with socialism in
about some artist’s overcoming of
line world is not ‘normal’ and it is not
a post-Communist world, a future in
adversity. It’s tired and clichéd and
a ‘reality’ that should be accepted at
which all services are more or less
we have Hyperallergic doing most
face value. Immediately as the lock-
functioning at the state and local lev-
of this work, so why pile on? I’d
downs began, we were told to ac-
els with our individual desires met,
much rather review album covers
cept and welcome our new normal.
while we all go on politely ignoring
of Black Metal bands with ques-
It is absurd and disheartening that
each other. Building creative net-
tionable political leanings, if only
such an attitude should take hold,
works for art based on trust in these
to cut them down a notch or two.
let alone be widely accepted. Over
waters will truly be challenging.
half of the art world unemployed, 5.
Art writing, but also art it-
shuttered, destroyed forever, should
self, are at their best when they’re
not be normalized. Neither should
adversarial
back
we normalize the increasing num-
against the tide of mass culture and
bers of the homeless, who still work
and
pushing
SUMMER 2020
19
A Curator’s Love Story By Alexandra Terry
20
LUMARTZINE
Ge n e vie ve Gaig n a rd
A
c ur at o r ’s
fri e n d of a fri end w ho w orks
get to know her. I neede d t o
not
a t the gal l ery w i l l i ntroduce
tal k to Genevi eve beca use
dis s im ilar to a ro m a n ti c re -
y o u i n a w ay that feel s natu-
her w ork i s pow erful , an d it
lat ions hip.
ra l a nd not schmoozy.
el i ci ted feel i ngs i n me t hat
wit h
pr oc es s
an
can
re l a ti o n s h i p a rti s t
is
The
c o u rti n g
be
a w k w a rd ,
shi fted and grew each ti m e I
ner v e wr ac k i n g a n d th ri l l i n g .
I fi rs t met Genevi eve Gai g -
S om et im es
n a rd
ot her
t im e s
l i fe
changing,
in
Jul y
2018,
returned to i t.
after
d i s a p p o i n ti n g .
mo n ths of ogl i ng her w ork
A fter admi ri ng her w ork fr om
Under neath a c e rta i n a m o u n t
o n l i ne. I w as capti vated by
afar and w orryi ng that she
of ego and b ra v a d o , y o u c a n
h e r vi brant ci nemati c pho -
mi ght not thi nk I w as i nt er -
hide a ling e ri n g fe a r th a t th e y
to g raphs and her i mmersi ve
esti ng, I met Genevi eve at
won’t lik e y o u o r th i n k th a t
i n s tal l ati on pi eces that keep
her LA studi o on a hot s um -
y ou’r e inte re s ti n g . F o r me ,
y o u r eye movi ng through the
mer day. N erves asi de, i t was
t his unc er ta i n ty i s mo s t p re v -
s p a c e at breakneck speed.
better than I thought i t w o uld
alent when I’ v e b e e n a d mi r -
T h e vi ntage w al l paper, the
be. S he w as fun and funny,
ing t he ar t i s t fo r a l o n g ti m e
s h i n y ki tsch, the humor, and
and seei ng her w ork i n per -
f r om af ar. E y e i n g th e m fro m
h e r confi dent and confronta -
son made me so enthusi a st ic
ac r os s t he ro o m c h a tti n g w i th
ti o n a l si de-eye kept me com -
that I tal ked too much and t oo
t heir galle ri s t a s th e y q u e u e
i n g back for more. I knew
fast. I l eft feel i ng i nvi gorat ed
f or a gin & to n i c a t th e o p e n-
th a t I w anted to fi nd a w ay
and exci ted, and as I dr ove
ing r ec ept i o n o f th e i r l a te s t
to work w i th her, but mostl y
back up to S anta B arbara, I
ex hibit ion; h o p i n g th a t y o u r
I w a nted to fi nd a reason to
i magi ned every possi bl e sce -
Opposite page: Genevieve Gaignard, Basic Cable and Chill, 2016, Chromogenic print, Courtesy of the artist and Vielmetter Los Angeles. This page: Genevieve Gaignard,The Line Up (Orange, Cream & White), 2017, Chromogenic prints, Edition 1 of 3, 2 AP. Courtesy of the artist and Vielmetter Los Angeles.
SUMMER 2020
21
nar io f or an ex h i b i ti o n o f h e r
v i e v e . D u ri ng the ten days
A fter al l of that, I suddenl y
wor k . I n t he da y s fo l l o w i n g ,
o f i n s ta l l i ng her w ork for the
found mysel f i n a l ong-di s -
I wr ot e up s om e o f m y i d e a s
e x h i b i ti o n I curated at the
tance rel ati onshi p w i th Gen -
and c ar ef ully c o n s i d e re d d i f -
Mu s e u m o f C ontemporary A rt
evi eve’s w ork. A l l I w anted
fer ent appr oac h e s . A n d th e n
S a n ta Ba rbara, w e l aughed
w as to be surrounded by i t
I ghos t ed G enev i e v e .
a n d l i s te n ed to musi c; w e
and to i ntroduce i t to peopl e.
ta l k e d a b out w hat w as i m We ’v e t alk ed ab o u t i t s i n c e .
p o rta n t to us, and I met some
The
The f ac t t hat I g h o s te d h e r.
o f h e r fa mi l y over FaceTi me.
fri ghteni ng
My only ex plan a ti o n i s th a t
pandemi c and
has
been
devastat -
i ng for so many reasons. It
the t im ing was n ’ t ri g h t. B u t
A l mo s t two years after our
has kept us apart from one
that
fi rs t
another,
didn’t
mean
I
wasn’t
think ing about h e r!
m e e ti ng,
B l oom
P roj -
and
aw ay
from
Gai gnard,
w hat i s meani ngful to us.
Ou ts i d e Looki ng In opened
In many tragi c cases, i t has
An d t hen it f inal l y h a p p e n e d .
o n M a rc h 5, 2020—onl y to
vanqui shed
I found a way to w o rk w i th
c l o s e to th e publ i c ni ne days
sources. W hi l e I have been
and t o get t o k n o w Ge n e -
l a te r b e c a use of C ovi d-19.
affected i n many w ays, I am
e c ts :
Ge nevi eve
l i fe-gi vi ng
re -
Bloom Projects: Genevieve Gaignard, Outside Looking In, Installation View, Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara, 2020.
22
LUMARTZINE
gr at ef ul t o h a v e o n l y h a d to
th e meani ng that I’ ve found
portuni ty to experi ence and
m ak e m ino r c h a n g e s to my
c a n be transl ated to others,
embrace i t as w el l . It i s not
daily lif e. D u ri n g th i s ti m e ,
s o that they can form thei r
for me to prescri be how your
I ’v e t hough t a l o t a b o u t w h y
o w n rel ati onshi p w i th the art -
rel ati onshi p w i th thi s exhi -
m y r elat ion s h i p s w i th th e a rt -
i s t a nd thei r w ork.
bi ti on w i l l unfol d, I can only
is t s t hat I w o rk w i th a re s o
hope that you w i l l be chan ged
m eaningf u l to me . L i k e o th e r
As
r elat ions hi p s I’ v e b e e n i n , i n
N e w som has begun to l oos -
hinds ight , I re a l i z e th a t th i s
e n re stri cti ons, and our stay-
par t ic ular o n e h a s c h a n g e d
a t-h ome orders are shi fti ng.
m e.
Relief
My
re l a ti o n s h i p
w i th
I
w ri te
and
thi s,
Governor
exci tement
by i t, as I have been, for t he better.
are
G enev iev e a n d h e r w o rk h a s
b re w i ng as w e make pl ans
f or c ed m e to c o n fro n t b ru ta l
fo r r eopeni ng the museum.
t r ut hs and to q u e s ti o n h o w
A s m uch as I cannot w ai t
I c an bes t u s e m y v o i c e to
to reuni te w i th Genevi eve’s
s peak out a g a i n s t i n j u s ti c e .
w o rk , I’ m most exci ted for
T his leads m e to w o n d e r h o w
o th er peopl e to have the op -
Photo by Arturo Heredia Soto. SUMMER 2020
23
Threshold Spaces
Rethinking the Figure During Quarantine By Debra Herrick
Zoe Walsh, Prism and Lens, 2019.
24
LUMARTZINE
H
ow w e v i e w a rt d e p e n d s
A s tunni ng exampl e i s Mari o
i s the w ay Ayal a’s i nfect ed
on t h e e x p e ri e n c e s w e
Ay a l a’s
A cquai n -
body i s depi cted taki ng off
br ing t o it . In th e mo n th s l e a d -
ta n c e s w hi ch depi cts a crash-
i ts mask. In the w eeks t hat
ing up t o C o v i d -1 9 ’s i n s e rti o n
te s t dummy covered i n w arn -
fol l ow ed, C ovi d-19’s ste alt h
int o ev er y a s p e c t o f th e C a l-
i n g s ymbol s of an i nfecti ous
i ncubati on
if or nia quo ti d i a n , S a n ta Ba r -
d i s e ase.
February
many to begi n to adopt a sim i -
bar a Cit y C o l l e g e ’s A tk i n s o n
o p e ni ng, the 2019 pi ece w as
l ar mode of thi nki ng: everyone
G aller y
held
an
Mendi ng
At
the
peri od
prompt ed
a mb i ti o u s
a c l ear presage to C ovi d-19.
you meet or touch mi ght be
t wo- par t e x h i b i ti o n fe a tu ri n g
Mo n ths pri or, the chai n l i nk
a contagi on under the mask
elev en
fe n c e
of heal th. In art, the hum an
So u th e rn
C a l i fo rn i a
referenci ng
detenti on
ar t is t s wo rk i n g i n fi g u ra ti v e
c e n te rs—or
l ater,
fi gure can act as a “carr ier ”
r epr es ent a ti o n . Mu c h o f El e v -
th e “ B l ack face” mask ques-
of certai n val ues and cod es;
en F igur es i n Tw o P a rts w a s
ti o n i ng
raci al
duri ng quaranti ne, bodi es ar e
an ex plor a ti o n o f fi g u ra ti v e ,
te n s ions—mi ght have struck
carri ers of di sease and pot en -
ps y c hologi c a l a n d s o c i a l c o n -
v i e w e rs
ti al bi ol ogi cal hazards.
s t r uc t s of th e h u m a n fo rm;
th a t n i ght, there w as no more
howev er, b y o p e n i n g n i g h t o f
s a l i e nt new s than the grow i ng
In thei r 2019 pai nti ngs, P rism
t he s ec ond p a rt, o u r c o l l e c -
c o n fu si on around C ovi d-19.
and Lens and The P eri pher ies
the
months basi s
fi rst.
of
H ow ever,
on
t iv e v iew o f th e h u m a n b o d y had alr ead y b e g u n to s h i ft.
of Love , Zoe Wal sh reco des P e rh aps even more presci ent
the proto-mal e body i n archi -
Manjari Sharma, Untitled, from the series Surface Tension, 2019. SUMMER 2020
25
Brian Calvin, Little Longneck, 2017/18.
26
LUMARTZINE
v al ‘80s gay pornography, cre-
into the ether. The window be -
ating a space for trans subjec -
tween this submergence and
tivity and casting figures and
emergence
sets as threshold spaces.
and unrepeatable.”
In an interview with Cultured
Karon Davis’ sculptural fig-
magazine last summer, Walsh
ure modeled on a newspaper
described this subjectivity as
image from a recent disaster
“watching
from
a
is
unpredictable
distance,
echoes the Covid-19 experi -
imagining something that is not
ence: from behind the ghostly
actually there.” Walsh touches
plaster, realistic eyes look out,
on the Zeitgeist of pandem-
an eerie connection to life be -
ic life—the threshold experi-
hind the window glass during
ence—a blurred space, where
the initial severity of the stay-
different
juxta-
at-home order that shut down
posed and what is or is not “ac-
workplaces, creative projects
tually there” is uncertain.
and many businesses.
realities
are
In Manjari Sharma’s untitled
The human embrace that was
work
series
the social grace; the comfort
Surface Tension, the figure is
of proximity to others; what
abstracted under ripples of wa-
was your refuge, you’ve now
ter and refracted light, evoking
been told is something to fear.
new forms beneath the sur-
We’re spending limitless time
face plane. Luscious shades
in
of blue—harmless elements of
ing phantoms of ourselves in
light and water—pierce, erase
place of concrete experienc -
and morph portions of the hu-
es. At the opening of Part I,
man form. The figure vacillates
Brian Calvin noted that his
between fractured and whole,
portraits
a hopeful gesture of the agility
were about making “figurative
with which our minds can shift
work that doesn’t tell a story.” Now and into the near future,
and
Without narrative, the works Covid-19 will change the way
in
the
adapt
ongoing
to
unpredictable
changes.
are
digital
spheres,
of
project -
women’s
self-contained,
faces
Above: Mario Ayala, Mending Acquaintances, 2019. Below: Karon Davis, God Bless Preston, detail, 2018.
finite. our bodies interact, along with
Each image reaffirms the ex - the meaning we derive from “When the outer plane gets
p e r i e n c e o f a b s t r a c t think- their representation.
punctured, an inner world ap -
ing
pears,” says Sharma. “Figures
ence—a life-affirming notion
turn
in the contemporary moment
into
landscapes,
limbs
into fins, bodies become amor -
and
creation—of
pres -
of global uncertainty.
phous, and the mind wanders
SUMMER 2020
27
M e a n de r i n g the Edg es Nathan Huff in Conversation with Bay Hallowell
M
eander ing th e Ed g e s , a n a rt i n s ta l l a t i on by N athan H uff at the A r c hit ec t u ra l F o u n d a ti o n o f S a n ta B a rbara, opened and cl osed
on t he s am e day b e c a u s e o f th e p a n d e m i c. The ex hibit ion e x a mi n e s w a y s i n w h i c h w e i nhabi t homes and move thr ough dom es t i c s p a c e s b a s e d o n me mo ry and emoti on. Instal l ed i n unc onv ent ional w a y s , H u ff ’s p a i n ti n g s a n d si te-speci fi c i nstal l ati ons engage wit h t he s p a c e — th e h i s to ri c , Vi c to ri an Ital i anate styl e home des igned and bu i l t i n 1 9 0 4 b y J a m e s J . Acheson.
28
LUMARTZINE
BAY HAL LOW E L L : Yo u h a v e
s tu d ies that hel ped me thi nk
out pl anets, I feel catapu lt ed
t ot ally
in-
a b o ut w hat types of narra -
from ordi nary, everyday lif e
t im at e gal l e ry s p a c e o f th e
ti v e s I mi ght draw out of the
i nto the i mmensi ty and e t er-
A r c hit ec t u ra l F o u n d a ti o n . U n -
s p a c e. U l ti matel y, I l ooked
nal grandeur of the uni ver se.
lik e s om e o f y o u r p re v i o u s
fo r
ins t allat ion s , M e a n d e ri n g th e
me s t i c l i fe such as seati ng
N H : P ul l i ng fami l i ar obj e ct s
E dges r es p o n d s i n s p e c i fi c
p l a c es, l i ghti ng, decorati on,
out of thei r natural contex t in -
y et v eiled w a y s to th e h i s to ry
l a n d s capi ng and spati al use
vi tes us to l ook at them w it hin
of t he s it e.
to e ngage w i th the bui l di ng’s
a bl ank tabl eau. For me, hand
i m a g i ned hi story.
tool s
t r a n s fo rm e d
th e
commonal i ti es
of
do -
NAT HAN H U F F : T h e h o me ’s
have
al w ays
been
a
metaphori cal bri dge between
pr om inenc e a s a n a rc h i te c -
B H : I see a l arge pai nti ng de-
the vi rgi n earth and the b uilt
t ur al m ar k e r a n d e x e mp l a ry
p i c ti n g assorted shovel s and
home. E xcavati on and pre pa -
s t y le in S a n ta B a rb a ra w a s
g a rd en tool s, al l seemi ngl y
rati on. These are requi red be -
ins pir ing; b u t w h e n I l o o k e d
s u s pended i n space. S tand -
fore bui l di ng a home and they
int o t he b u i l d i n g ’s o ra l a n d
ing
on
are precursors to artmaking.
wr it t en his to ry, I fo u n d v e ry
n o th i ng at al l , they summon
The starry ski es often stand
lit t le bac k g ro u n d a b o u t th e
q u e sti ons: W ho dug the foun -
i n as a remi nder of the g r an -
or iginal ow n e rs . W h i l e i n i ti a l -
d a ti o ns of thi s house? W ho
deur of the cosmos, even as
ly dis appo i n ti n g , th i s a l l o w e d
te n d ed the garden and bui l t
w e eke out our exi stence in
m e t o ov e rl a y a n d i n v e n t a n
th e fences? They i nsti gated
l i ttl e corners of thi s earth.
inv es t igat i o n
of
th e
tal l
l i ke
senti nel s
h o me
l e i s u rel y, dream-l i ke musi ngs
f r om a m o re p e rs o n a l o r fi c -
o n th e human l i fe these w al l s
B H : The i nterpl ay between
t ionaliz ed a c c o u n t.
have
over
the
feel i ng both i ndoors and out -
as
they
si de i s del i ghtful . I spi ed a
Us ing t he h o m e ’s fl o o r p l a n
a re wi th a dark patch of star-
sw ath of A stroturf i n one cor-
dr awings , I m a d e a s e ri e s o f
ry n i ght sky and several cut-
ner and a pai nted fi repl ace in
y e a rs .
w i tnessed Juxtaposed
Nathan Huff, Meandering the Edges, Architectural Foundation of Santa Barbara, 2020. SUMMER 2020
29
anot her and th e re i s a p a i n ti n g o f to u s led gr as s nonc ha l a n tl y g ro w i n g o n a w o o d en t able. NH: Dom es t ic s p a c e s a n d u n ta m e d n a tu re hav e been a s o u rc e o f i n te re s t fo r me for s om e t im e. J u x ta p o s i n g th e s e e mi n g l y cul t iv at ed and s a fe s p a c e s o f th e i n te ri o r wi th wild nat ur al el e me n ts re q u i re s a c o n c e p tu al s t r et c h on th e p a rt o f th e v i e w e r. I l ike m ent al s pac e s th a t e mb ra c e a n d e x p and r at her t han r e d u c e o r c o n s tri c t th e i m a gi nat ion. BH: V i s u a l
echoes
abound! Real steps
leading upstairs at the back of the gallery are in dialogue with a stack of wood squares placed like steps at the front of the gallery. Two semi-circular forms from cut white utility buckets are repeated in the wallpaper. A hanging wall lamp is mirrored in a small painting of the same lamp. There are two identical, conjoined, ceramic mugs. How does all this happen? NH: M y s t udi o p ro c e s s i s q u i te c y c l i c a l . I
usual l y make at l east doubl e and often tri pl e the amount of w ork that I anti ci pate usi ng i n an exhi bi ti on. I often fol l ow a thread of expl orati on by creati ng mul ti pl e w orks i n a vari ety of medi a that ci rcl e back around on themsel ves. I spend a good deal of ti me ed i ti ng and arrangi ng 2D and 3D el ements to bui l d a coherent and i nteresti ng vi sual ex peri ence. I often descri be the w ork of creati ng an exhi bi ti on as si mi l ar to composi ng a vi sual poem. W hen uni que vi sual phrases connect to other parts of the poem, the outcome i nvi tes associ ati ve connecti ons rather than a l i near narrati ve. B H : H ow do you thi nk about thi s exhi bi ti on now that the context of our shared l i fe has changed due to the C ovi d-19 pandemi c? N H : It i s a strange experi ence to present an i nstal l ati on that i s meant to be w al ked through and yet vi ew ers are not al l ow ed to be there. The content of the show al so feel s
30
LUMARTZINE
r es onant w i th w h a t w e a re c a rry i n g c o l l ecti ve -
ent to the j oys and sadness of my l i fe at t his
ly r ight now. As w e h u n k e r d o w n i n o ur homes
ti me. Meanderi ng the E dges i s a vi sual po em
and f ac e u n c e rta i n ty, w e h a v e ti me for refl ec -
for the ri ch and l ayered dynami cs i n my own
t ion. M uc h l i k e m y i n s ta l l a ti o n , th i s season
home and a l ongi ng stretch to those pl a ces
r epr es ent s d i s ta n c e , a l o n g i n g fo r c o nnecti on,
and peopl e w ho are j ust out of reach.
a c elebr at i o n o f o b j e c ts th a t h o l d m emori es, and a s hif ti n g o f th e p e rc e i v e d b o u n dari es of our liv es . F o r m e , I a m re m i n d e d to be pres-
Nathan Huff, Meandering the Edges, Architectural Foundation of Santa Barbara, 2020.
SUMMER 2020
31
32
Victoria Pearson, Untitled photographs. Courtesy of the artist. LUMARTZINE
Still Waters Run Deep Vic t oria P e a r s o n By Jane Handel
V
ic t or ia
hope
b e e n pared dow n to thei r es -
B y rel yi ng purel y on ambient ,
is t ha t e a c h o f h e r a rt
s e n ce; the obj ects i n the pho -
di ffused and gentl e l i ght wit h
wor k s is a ta b u l a ra s a u p o n
to g ra phs,
si ngl e
no dramati c shadow s, Pear -
whic h t he v i e w e r c a n p ro j e c t
w h i te egg, a cl ear gl ass of
son’s subj ects evoke a si m ple
any t hing a t a l l . In th i s c o n -
g l i s teni ng i ce w ater, tw o bun -
but poeti c beauty. A l tho ugh
t ex t ,
her
d l e s of sti cks, one burnt, one
some of the w orks are cer -
phot ogr ap h s a t P o rc h Ga l l e ry
n o t; a w hi te, starched and
tai nl y
in O jai be a rs a n a p p ro p ri a te
p re s sed
shi rt,
most of the dye transfer prints
t it le: E LE M EN TAL .
a ro ck resembl i ng a gl ori ous
are in a large format (approx-
fu l l m oon, are refi ned and el -
imately 35 x 55 inches or
I ndeed, s e v e ra l o f th e i m -
e g a n t w i th no extraneous i n -
larger), they also convey an
ages in t h i s e x h i b i ti o n h a v e
fo rm ati on to di stract the eye.
almost monolithic quality that
t he
P e a rs o n ’s
e x h i b i ti o n
of
w hether
men’s
a
dress
mi ni mal i sti c,
because
SUMMER 2020
33
bestows a gravitas which be-
e n g e n d e r a sense of cal m, a
P earson’s
lies their simplicity. Bu t, u n l i k e
re s p i te from the chaos and
exhi bi ted i n tandem w i th the
the eff or t s of t h e M i n i m a l i s ts ,
a n x i e ty o n e encounters i n the
scul ptures of D ougl as Tausi k
whic h
c o u rs e o f one’s l i fe.
R yder. It i s a thoughtful pai r -
ar e
c on s c i o u s l y
de-
vo id of m et aph o r, P e a rs o n ’s su bjec t s ,
in
keeping
are
i ng of tw o arti sts, w orki ng i n
w i th
A p a rt fro m the scal e, some
very di fferent medi ums, w ho
her t abula r as a t h e me , c a n b e
o f Pe a rs o n’s i mages of ob -
have di sti l l ed thei r subj ects
sym bolic of m an y th i n g s . F o r
j e c ts — th e sti l l l i fes—bri ng to
dow n to thei r essences; the
i n s t anc e, t he g l a s s o f w a te r
mi n d th e work of other arti sts:
forms
i s beaut if ul in a n d o f i ts e l f,
J o s e f S u d e k' s photos of hum -
and thus, compl ement, one
but I hav e nev er b e e n a b l e to
b l e g l a s s es of w ater; Gi orgi o
another.
l o ok at it wit hou t th i n k i n g o f
Mo ra n d i ' s pai nti ngs of si m -
the ongoing dr o u g h t w e fa c e
p l y c o m p o sed, mostl y w hi te,
i n C alif or nia and h o w i n c re a s -
v a s e s ; a n d of course, E dw ard
i n gly pr ec ious a s i mp l e g l a s s
We s to n ’s
of dr ink ing wa te r i s e v e ry -
e s o f p e p pers and nauti l us
wher e on t he pla n e t.
s e a s h e l l s . B ut then there are
now -i coni c
i mag -
h e r m u te d , soft-focus compo Al t hough t he s ti l l l i fe w a s n ’ t
s i ti o n s o f stones, remi ndi ng
co ns ider ed t o be a g e n re u n ti l
o n e o f a Z en garden.
the 16t h c ent ur y i n Eu ro p e , i t
34
photographs
has ins pir ed arti s ts th ro u g h -
A n d , to o , provi di ng a pow er -
out his t or y, f r om th e a n c i e n t
fu l a n c h o r for the exhi bi t are
Eg y pt ians t o t he p re s e n t. Bu t
P e a rs o n ’s
unlik e t he dida c ti c o r m o r -
ma j e s ti c sheep: One, w i th a
al i z ing us e of s y mb o l s th a t
w h i te fa c e turned to l ook di -
was c om m on in D u tc h p a i n t -
re c tl y a t th e vi ew er; the other,
i n g, f or ins t anc e , th e s ti l l l i fe
w i th a b l a c k face seen i n pro -
has ev olv ed as a m e a n s b y
fi l e , l o o k s aw ay. B oth of these
whic h ar t is t s , l i k e P e a rs o n ,
s h e e p a re so sharpl y i n focus
vi v if y and honor e v e ry d a y o b -
th a t w e c an see every strand
j e c t s or elem en ts o f n a tu re
o f h a i r, e v ery bi t of debri s em -
that one’s ey e mi g h t q u i c k l y
b e d d e d i n the matted w ool of
pas s ov er, t ak e fo r g ra n te d ,
th e i r c o a ts, and every bl ade
not c ons ider as b e a u ti fu l b e -
o f g ra s s i n w hi ch they stand;
ca us e t hey s eem s o o rd i n a ry.
th e y c o n v ey a cal m sol i di ty
In t hat s ens e, P e a rs o n ’s s ti l l
a n d d i g n i ty that one doesn’ t
l i fes ev ok e a s i m p l e , d i re c t,
o rd i n a ri l y
straight f or war d a n d n o n -h i e r -
s h e e p . T h e y are trul y magni f -
arc hic al r ev er en c e fo r l i fe . A s
i c e n t c re a tures and P earson’s
co nt em plat iv e t a l i s m a n s , th e y
h o ma g e i s compel l i ng.
LUMARTZINE
portrai ts
of
associ ate
tw o
w i th
depi cted
often
echo
Victoria Pearson, Untitled photographs. Courtesy of the artist.
SUMMER 2020
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Art i s t P r of ile M i c ha e l M a t he s o n
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LUMARTZINE
surpri si ng l evel of detai l i n the varyi ng line w ork of a bounti ful bouquet i n a vase. A sm all etchi ng
of
an
exqui si tel y-rendered
hor se
stares at you w i th enough real i sm to make
B y Ca itlin O’Ha ra
S
ant a
Ba rb a ra
based
a rti s t
Mi chael
M at he s o n h a s n o i d l e mo d e , and cer -
t ainly no o ff s w i tc h . H e re c e n tl y w e l d ed a hi bac hi gr ill p ro to ty p e , s l i p c a s t a v a s e, sew ed c anv as into b a n n e rs a n d p a i n te d a si gn for a loc al bus i n e s s . A n d h e c a l l s th a t Tu esday. B ut when i t c o me s to m a k i n g a rt, th e R enai s s anc e m an i s n a rro w i n g h i s s c o p e . “ I t hink ov e r ti m e a p ro fe s s i o n a l a rti s t l earns what is t he re a l d ri v i n g fo rc e b e h i n d w hat he or s he m a k e s a n d w h y h e o r s h e makes i t,” M at hes on s a y s . “A t th a t p o i n t, a l o t o f edi ti ng happens , a n d y o u fo c u s o n y o u r c o re i nter es t . F or m e , m y c o re i n te re s t i s b l a c k i nk and
you reach out to touch i t. W i th an oeuvre that i s decepti vel y approa ch abl e, Matheson commonl y creates i mages of botani cal s, Western i conography and tr adi ti onal tattoo fl ash, bui l di ng from a l ove f or cl assi cal pai nti ngs, earl y N ati ve A merican draw i ngs and A meri cana. Throughout hi s si zabl e output, he bal an ces tensi ons betw een the mascul i ne and fe m i ni ne; academi c and outsi der; natural and ur ban; hi stori c and contemporary; mi ni mal and expressi ve; pl ayful and grounded. H e has an affi ni ty for usi ng accessi bl e materi al s, even reachi ng for hi s coffee cup w hen he needs t o add a stai n here or there. W hen w orki ng , he
wat er c olor, g ra p h i c c o n te n t a n d my conver s at ion wit h h i s to ry a n d p a ti n a .” M at hes on i s c u rre n tl y c o n c e n tra ti n g on w a t er c olor ( “ I fi n d th a t th e d e v e l o p me n t of l ay er s of c olo r c re a ti n g d e p th s re a l l y pul l s me int o t he pr o c e s s ”); w o o d b l o c k c a rv i ng (“For it s v is c er a l q u a l i ti e s — m y a b i l i ty to s i t w i th a piec e and re mo v e m a te ri a l w i th m y h ands re ally allows me to c re a te a rt w i th m o r e phys ic alit y ” ) ; a n d i n ta g l i o p ri n tma k i n g (“I ts com plex it y and s tru c tu re fo rc e s my s ty l e to adapt t o it s bet t e r n a tu re ”). A f our - f oot b l a c k & w h i te w a te rc o l o r di spl ays t hor ned t h i s tl e s w i th s u p p l e b u d s w h ose pet als open t o re v e a l a d e l i c a te s c a l l o p pattern as leav es fa l l a ro u n d th e m. A s i x -foot-tal l woodbloc k p ri n t o n E g y p ti a n mu s l i n had to be pr es s e d b y a s te a m ro l l e r. It re veal s a Matheson in his studio. Photo by Debra Herrick. SUMMER 2020
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i s fast, fl ui d, deci si ve—pul l i ng hi s W i nd sor N ew ton seri es 7 brush or pushi ng S w i ss-made w ood chi sel s w i th a steady hand and a confi dence that w hatever hap pens, i t w i l l be ri ght. “Over the past tw enty years of w orki ng at art and l earni ng most medi ums and mate ri al s, I have honed my practi ce to w here i t i s i mmedi ate and accessi bl e. I have creat ed a vast vi sual l i brary, so I al w ays have an i dea or di recti on avai l abl e to me, and I don’ t get hung up on havi ng the perfect brushes, the perfect studi o.” Matheson has travel ed the U .S . a num ber of ti mes, and he has l i ved i n ci ti es from w est to east and north to south. H e w orked for D oug A i tken i n the mi d-2000s, runni ng hi s pai nti ng studi o. “I produced hi s w atercol ors. The pai nti ngs w ere bui l t on a compl ex gri d; i t w as very repeti ti ve, preci se w ork. That gave me a speci fi c re spect for w atercol or that I carry w i th me. In my w ork today, I’ m creati ng somethi ng total l y my ow n, but w hi ch came out of that practi ce.” A fter returni ng home to S anta B arba ra several years ago, he began curati ng D une C offee R oasters’ gal l ery spaces and hosti ng art ni ghts at Muni ci pal W i nemak ers. H e provi des art di recti on and execu ti on for i nteri ors such as H i ghl and P ark B ow l i n L.A . H e manages the metal shop and makers space i n the U C S B A rt D epartment. A nd he creates w hat he cal l s “l o-fi ” art and merchandi se to sel l at l ocal art markets. A gai n, cal l i t Tuesday.
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LUMARTZINE
GOLD VS BLACK
Cheers with a @luckys_steakhouse lemon drop martini and sweet sounds by Valdas of @valmarrecords.
#
t hef r ont s t ep s p ro j e c t— p o rtra i ts o f p e o pl e taken outsi de thei r homes—trended on Instagram t hr oughout th e A p ri l s ta y -a t-h o me o rd e rs. A cross the country, photographers portrayed a
se ns e of s olidari ty b y c a p tu ri n g th e s h a re d moment and donati ng fees to l ocal nonprofi ts. Gold v s B lac k , t h e p o w e rh o u s e c re a ti v e d u o of S ophi a Tayl or and N i col e B erry, brought thei r co ol S oCal v ibes to th e i n i ti a ti v e , c a p tu ri n g S anta B arbara l ocal s steps aw ay from thei r homes i n t he week s wh e n C o v i d -1 9 h a d s h u t d o w n the ci ty’s soci al l i fe. Offer ing an int ima te g l i mp s e o f p e o p l e w h e re they dw el l at a ti me w hen others w ere cl osed off fro m ent er ing t h o s e s p a c e s , th e p h o to s b r i ng to focus the endurance of fashi on, humor and l o v e, ev en in t he mo s t u n c e rta i n ti me s . See more Gold vs Black photos at lumartzine.com. SUMMER 2020
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LUMARTZINE
AT FIRS T BRUS HS TROKE
H
iroko Yoshimoto, a Ventura based ar t ist , c ult ivated an apprec iat i on of nature f rom her mot her Teiko, w ho loved to garden in t he small f ront and bac k yard of t heir Tok yo house.
H er and her sister Shoko planted tulip, anemone and peony bulbs and waited for t he forc ef ul p oint y sho ot s to break ground in t he spr ing. To get her w it h t heir fat her, t hey ’d walk to t he Tok yo Univer sit y B ot anic al G ardens w it h r ic e balls and tea. In t he last t went y year s of her life, Teiko fell ill w it h a damaged hear t and to ok up haiku w r iting. H iroko rec alls her mot her in t he family ’s garden on one of her g o o d days in later life: “ It ’s wor t h living even just to watc h t he gras s leave s sprout ing and f lower buds opening,” sai d Teiko. Fo r Lum A r t Zine, H iroko’s sister Shoko t ranslated Teiko’s haikus to ac c ompany paint ings f rom H iroko’s ser ie s B io diver s i t y. B ot h are studie s in t he diver sit y of life for ms, f rom t he mic robe s in a drop of water to t he st roke of a bamb o o br ush.
This page: Pages of Teiko Yoshimoto’s haikus in her calligraphy. Haikus by Teiko Yoshimoto Translated by Shoko Yoshimoto Miura, PhD. Opposite page: Hiroko Yoshimoto, Biodiversity #118, Oil on Canvas, 60”x104” and Biodiversity #120, Oil on Canvas, 50”x86”.
At the first brushstroke
They went to see the whales
Of lilies on silk
Ill and alone
The air fills with fragrance
I long to be on that boat
SUMMER 2020
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Maria Rendón: Of Water, Tumbleweed & Transformation With the opening of the exhibition But Only So an Hour at HeyThere Projects in Joshua Tree, Santa Barbara-based artist Maria Rendón has come into shimmering focus...
Patricia Chidlaw Eyes the Overlooked Patricia Chidlaw’s approach to painting is vibrantly alive in a new exhibition at Sullivan Goss-An American Gallery...
Alfredo Ramos Martínez & the Modernist Canon The works of Alfredo Ramos Martínez in Santa Barbara Museum of Art’s recent exhibition fuse Mexican culture with formal abstraction...
Spontaneous Response: The Innovative Ceramics of Don Reitz Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum’s latest exhibition honors the long-lasting legacy of the revolutionary artist Don Reitz…
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Xanadu The Gallery at Hotel Indigo Santa Barbara’s Xanadu is a resplendent romp through California popular culture edified by international artist Russell Young and glimmers of Central Coast gems Cassandria Blackmore and Beatrice Wood...
George Rose: Photographic Landscapes Solvang-based photographer George Rose’s crisp, expressive landscapes bring the grace and power of California’s wine country to Solvang’s Wildling Museum...
SUMMER 2020
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tanya Aguiniga Los Angeles based artist/designer/ craftsperson who was raised in Tijuana, Mexico.
we celebrate artists
2020 carolyn glasoe bailey foundation Art Prizes cgbfoundation.org Dyani White Hawk (Sičángu Lakota) is a visual artist based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Special thanks to our donors for their support of the 2020 prizes.
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Randall David Tipton, Oregon Refuge 4, watermedia, 20x20 in., detail.
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M o n t e cito
Ca r p i n te r i a L i b r a r y 5 1 4 1 Ca rp in t e ria Av e .
Golet a Art, Design & Architecture Museum University of California, Santa Barbara 5 5 2 Un iv e rs it y Ro a d Cl a y S tu d i o 1 3 5 1 Ho lid a y Hill Ro a d
Ojai Ba r t’s Bo o k s 3 0 2 W Ma t ilija S t . T h e Ba s i c P r e m i s e 9 1 8 E O ja i Av e . Ca r o l y n G l a s o e Ba i l e y F o u n d a tio n 2 4 8 S Mo n t g o me ry S t . # A Porch Gallery 3 1 0 E Ma t ilija S t .
Vent ura F O L KE 2 4 8 E Ma in S t . Vi ta Ar t Ce n te r 2 8 W Ma in S t .
Solvang Wi l d l i n g Mu s e u m o f Ar t & Na tu re 1 5 11 -B Mis s io n Driv e
Los Osos
West m o nt Ridley-Tre e Museu m o f A r t , Westmont Colle ge 955 La P az Ro a d
L e ft F i e l d G a l l e r y 1 0 3 6 L o s O s o s Va lle y Ro a d
C a rp i n teria
A ND MO RE !
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MUSEUM OF CONTEMPOR ARY ART SANTA BARBAR A
We look for ward to welcoming you back! Reser vations are required to view our current exhibition Genevieve Gaignard: O ut side Looking In. For more information on booking and adjusted opening hours and dates visit w w w. M CA SantaBarbara .org
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