HOMECOMING 2017 Catalogue
INTRODUCTION Returning from a prolific year of travelling and showcasing its collection across the U.S., Sergott Contemporary Art Alliance (SCAA) proudly presents Homecoming: A Celebration of SCAA’s New Artists and Artwork from National Art Fairs 2016 – 2017. To commemorate this occasion, the exhibition will feature a diverse selection of brand new works by represented artists and artists who have exhibited with SCAA for the first time in Los Angeles, Palm Springs, San Francisco, New York City, and Bridgehampton. The aim of Homecoming is to highlight, appreciate, and market the work of the new artists who have enriched SCAA’s mandate in the last year. Works will consist of a variety of media including acrylic and oil painting, sculpture, and knitted t-shirts. The opening night festivities will feature music by Malamaña featuring Juanito and Fredi, a guitar duo known in the San Diego community for their unique form of Latin music infused with rumba, rock, jazz, salsa, blues, and flamenco. SCAA would like to express its gratitude to its artists and neighboring arts communities and looks forward to many more years of successful fairs and exhibitions to come.
ARTISTS Joe Caroff Derli Romero Cerna Stone Chen Einar & Jamex De La Torre Peggy Hinaekian Al Johnson Barbara Kolo Cynthia Miller Marco Miranda Michelle Montjoy Hung Viet Nguyen Karrie Ross Audrey Suer Jody Wiggins Nami Yang
Al Johnson, Escapism, 2017 mixed media on canvas 36” x 36”
Joe Caroff b. U.S.A.
“Caroff’s work is about the vital inner world of the artist as well as a response to the broader world and current events. Often suggestive narrative elements seep into abstract forms. Color accents the monochromatic. Forms define negative and positive space. Lines interface and rise from the surface. Through his work, Joe Caroff strives to unify diverse aesthetics and influences to create a unique internal harmony. His intuitive process – guided by the interaction between line, color and space – defines the direction of each work as it evolves.” – Tracy L. Adler, Director of the Ruth and Elmer Wlin Museum of Art
The Matron, 2005 mixed media 29” x 24.5” x 1.25” (framed)
Derli Romero Cerna “I am a producer of artist's books. Sometimes it takes me two months to create them, sometimes years. At other times I do nothing. However, when this happens, the book grows in my mind, page after page, until for whatever reason and through the magic of art, I create it.”
Untitled, 2016 Charcoal on cotton paper 12” x 15.5” (unframed)
Untitled, 2016 Charcoal on cotton paper 12” x 15.5” (unframed)
Stone Chen b. Taiwan, lives and works in the U.S.A.
Stone Chen is an active Taiwanese citizen, dedicated member of public service, and a culture enthusiast. Through his work, he has helped to integrate Taiwanese culture into the U.S. mainstream. As a child, Chen helped his family’s financial situation by selling paintings. Since then, he has displayed an adamant love of painting evident in his body of work. Chen graduated from the National Taiwan Normal University majoring in fine art, with a concentration in the Renaissance period. He also has teaching experience at the Chinese Culture University in Taipei. Most notably, his works were selected to show in the Tai-Yang Exhibition, a prestigious annual showcasing of Taiwanese artists at the forefront of their generation. After immigrating to the United States, Chen studied at the Pasadena Art Center, UCLA, Pomona College, and Southern Pacific University.
Balboa Park, 2011 acrylic 31” x 37” (framed)
Big Ben, 2012 acrylic 37” x 49” (framed)
De La Torre Brothers b. Mexico, lives and works in both Mexico and the U.S.A.
“Brothers Einar and Jamex de la Torre were born in Guadalajara, México (1963 & 1960), where they grew up until a sudden family move to California in 1972. They are presently living and working on both sides of the border with studios in Ensenada, Mexico and San Diego, California. Jamex started flame-working glass in 1977, attended California State University at Long Beach, and received a BFA in Sculpture in 1983. Einar started work with glass in 1980, while also attending California State University at Long Beach. In the 1980s, they ran a flame-worked glass figure business while also developing their assemblage style of work. In the early 90s, they began working collaboratively as studio artists; later in the decade, they began work in installation art with participations in Biennales such as inSITE and Mercosul (Brazil). In the year 2000, the brothers began their work in public art; they now have six major projects completed. They have exhibited their work internationally, participating in exhibits in France, Japan, Canada, Germany, Venezuela, and Brazil, as well as the US and Mexico.” –Mindy Solomon Gallery
Wellness Mandala, 2017 Lenticular print, 16/20, aluminum frame, signed 23" x 23” x 1"
Dios lo ve Todo, 2010 Blown glass, mixed media 36" x 18” x 5"
Peggy Hinaekian U.S.A
Hinaekian is an internationally recognized artist whose works consist of a variety of mediums ranging from oils, acrylics, to collage, monotypes and etchings. Most notably, her etchings were distributed by Christie’s Contemporary Art, London, Edition de Francony, Nice, and Stuio Arco of Rome. Since then she has embraced abstract art and produced a great number of paintings on canvas along with collages on paper. She has exhibited extensively in Switzerland, France, England, Spain, Germany, Italy, Norway, Austria, Japan, Hong Kong, Kuwait, Canada, South Africa and the United States. Before pursuing art as a profession, Hinaekian was a fashion designer in Boston and Manhattan. As an artist, she is a multi-faceted creator with a deep interest in color—indeed, her hues can be seen as allusions to the natural wonders of the landscapes she has experienced during her worldwide travels. Hinaekian has a fascination with creative imagery and considers herself as a color field artist; she describes the nostalgic character of her work as atmospheric, poetic and quiet. She tries to breathe movement into her “abstract landscapes” (blue and earth colors) and “quiet collages” (where the dominant color is red, blue or black) to guide the viewer into the paintings and making them wander into a different reality.
Spring Green I, 2015 mixed media 22" x 44"
Spring Green II, 2015 mixed media 22" x 44"
Red Desert Yellow Sky 2017 Acrylic 36” x 36”
Blue Rain II, 2017 Acrylic 40” x 40”
Al Johnson U.S.A
Al Johnson, illustrator, fine artist, educator and mentor has developed an artistic style that captures the classical, weaves it with the contemporary to create bodies of work that exemplifies his individual style. Spiritually connected to his work, his mix of color and shapes through abstract expressionism allows the viewer to interpret what they see and feel. While formally trained in the techniques of the great masters, Johnson honed these skills while attending famed institutions such as Pratt Institute, the Albert Pale School of Commercial Arts and the Arts Student League, constantly challenging the creative force within. Johnson most recently exhibited in the Maison des Arts Gallery located LeBacares, France where his “New Yorkers” exhibition was widely received by the residents of the south of France. The 40+ paintings in this show will also be on tour in five major cities in France. His work has also been shown at the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum in Japan, the Guangzhou International Art Fair in China, countless galleries in New York and other major cities within the United States.
Escapism, 2017 Mixed media on canvas 36” x 36”
As Luck be Denied, 2017 Mixed media on masonite 15” x 15”
Shakespearean Cowboy, 2017 Mixed media on masonite 15” x 15”
Where To Go From Here, 2017 Mixed media on masonite 15” x 15”
Barbara Kolo A quiet stillness to Barbara Kolo’s work evokes a time of reflection. Inspired by natural forms and influenced by impressionist, Aboriginal, and Asian art, she developed a graceful meditative visual language using dots or circles and lines. The paintings grow organically, with any resulting symmetry and order happening in the moment. In her “Obsession Series,” she repeatedly hand stamps ink or acrylic paint circles with different degrees of pressure, creating imperfections and variation that show the artist’s hand. Each dot or circle is then counted with tally marks that become part of the image. The total tally is the title of the work, and reflects the name of the series. On first sight, viewers are excited by the dizzying array of dots and then, the quietly meditative quality of Barbara’s work.
Vivacity, 2016 acrylic on canvas 24” x 24”
Cynthia Miller Currently living in Tucson, Cynthia Miller’s unique installations have been featured at SOFA Chicago 2016, 2015, and 2014, Architectural Digest New York Shows 2014 – 15, and the Palm Beach Fine Art Show. Design professionals commission Cynthia to create commercial and residential applications. Her work is in collections throughout the United States, Europe, and New Zealand. Her medium, vitreous enamel glass, is kiln fused onto burnished copper. These panels are impervious to rain and temperature change and therefore suitable for outdoor, as well as indoor installation.
A New Star in Nine Panels, 2015 Glass kiln fused with copper 12” x 10” each
Exhibition example
Marco Miranda Originally from Hermosillo, Sonora, a graduate of the Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Sonora majoring in Printmaking. From a young age he has made plásticasu profession and life, always led by the great desire for experimentation and mixtures, very evident in his work. Filing in Baja California since 2004, when incursions into pictorial elámbito, currently works full time in his studio in one Mexicali, with the representation of galleries in Tijuana and Los Angeles, CA.
Paisajes Intervenidos V, 2017 Mixed media/plexiglass 24” x 42”
Michelle Montjoy “With familiar materials and techniques, I make objects and images that are often simultaneously haunting and whimsical. Employing absurdity, obsessiveness, and abnormal juxtapositions my work observes suburban tropes, personal failings, and political paradoxes…. The act of gathering people to make something has a giant power of its own. The commonality of the desire unites very different types of people, not unlike eating at a communal table. In an age of virtual and lightbased encounters; using your hands, spending real time doing it, and using repurposed materials is an almost counter-culture event. There is a tangible mark for every person’s moment of time spent on the loom- an accomplishment, an investment, and also a recognition of time passing. The work becomes a collection of all of those moments, enhanced by the history and stories held in the used t-shirts.” –Artist Statement
The Mesmerizers, 2015 Knitted used t-shirts, plastic pipe ~13’
Hung Viet Nguyen b. Vietnam, lives and works in U.S.A.
Hung Viet Nguyen was born in Vietnam in 1957. He studied Biology at Science University in Saigon, Vietnam, then transitioned to working as an illustrator, graphic artist and designer since settlement in the U.S. in 1982. He developed his artistry skills independently, studying many traditional Eastern and Western forms, media and techniques. Nguyen’s complex, labor intensive investigations of oil paint reveal a methodical mastery of texture. While portions of Nguyen’s work suggest the influence of many traditional art forms including woodblock prints, Oriental scroll paintings, ceramic art, mosaic, and stained glass, his ultimate expression asserts a contemporary pedigree.
Sacred Landscape II #22, 2017 Oil on canvas 60” x 48”
Karrie Ross Ross is a native to Los Angeles and has been exhibiting her work since the 1980s. Her art is included in corporate and retail collections in addition to installations around the world. Her curriculum vitae includes over 125 shows from 2010 – 2016: a three Museum traveling show 2014-2015, Italy, OAM and RAM; LAMAG, MOAH; as well as local and regional Southern California museums and contemporary art galleries. Ross also is available to guest lecture, and has been interviewed by a variety of arts entertainment shows — NEWs: written up in publications —Cartwheel, Hollywood Today, the Los Angeles Times, the Huffington Post, as well as reviews in videos. In the end, Ross is about the “seeing” of oneself and the knowing of ones personal energy. Her work is her on-going creative exploration and play.
Chaotic Burst, 2014 mixed media 30” x 22”
Audrey Suer Audrey Suer, a contemporary artist, makes her home in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. She was born and educated in Iowa, and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Drake University. Suer taught art in Ames, Iowa and in the Los Angeles City School system at junior and high school levels. After teaching for over thirty years, she retired in 1992 and now devotes her time to painting. Suer has traveled extensively in Europe, Canada, Australia, and the U.S. with her husband, Herbert. She believes that her exposure to numerous international artists and studies with Carole Barnes, Virginia Cobb, Maxine Masterfield, and Mary Alice Braukman have influenced her direction. Her paintings have won awards and have been exhibited in numerous national and international competitions in the U.S., England, and Wales. Suer’s paintings are included in both private and corporate collections. Her work was featured in a 2001 issue of Watercolor magazine (“A Sampling of Techniques”). She is also a signature member of the National Acrylic Painters Association and the International Society of Experimental Artists.
Over the Edge-Marinia, 2015. mixed media on canvas 30” x 40”
Jody Wiggins “Texture provides a fascinating dimension to my paintings, I am constantly searching for different materials and techniques to create new surfaces. Recent works on paper combine transfers and collectible materials with watercolor and acrylic media. The collectibles simulate texture; actual reliefs and depressions are achieved by using a collagraphic plate and a press. After embossing the surface, the work is further defined with additional intermingling of hard-edged shapes, large passive areas, and delicate lines which reinforce the spirit of the subject. I manipulate forms by taping off areas, spraying, blotting, and repainting frequently, creating the illusion of an old, worn, aged surface. These paintings are not preconceived; each is developed by experimenting with various layered media. My canvases are initially carefully planned; however my execution is more spontaneous and may depart from the original concept. My current series contains large acrylic areas with transfer and collectible items collaged onto the edges of the canvases.” –Artist Statement
Epic Warrior, 2017 Mixed media on canvas 30” x 40”
Forever Springtime, 2016 mixed media using Japanese rice paper 26” x 58”
Nami Yang Taiwan
“I paint with my fingers and with cards, averting the traditional brush skills I was taught to employ. Sometimes I like to add plaster gauze to surfaces to add texture and dimension. I believe that brush strokes are not adequate enough to convey my ideas for my paintings. My hands can mix the colors very well and allow me to have more control over the surface by making the canvases or panel look flat and smooth, but the it’s the cards that always give me surprises –textures, color mixtures, layers, interest, and more depth. The interplay of these effects makes the art more atractive to the eye.” –Artist Statement
Dancer’s Dance, 2016 Oil on canvas 40” x 30”
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