It has been way too long since I attended an art opening at Art From Scrap. For one reason or another, the openings seemed to conflict with some other obligation. Well, I’m making the extra effort to head over there tomorrow night to see this show by this prolific local family. They have been a large part of the local art community for a long time, and each of them brings their own wonderful talents to their work. I’ve seen their work all over town in public spaces and at any number of group shows around town. This will be a great opportunity to see a concentrated exhibition.

Details below. See you there.

Gene Pool Retrospective Exhibition: Alf Ramirez, Colleen Kelly, and Isabella Kelly-Ramirez

Artist’s Reception: Friday, January 13, 2012 from 5:00 to 7:00

AFS Gallery

302 East Cota St. Santa Barbara, CA J

EMAIL: afsadmin@artfromscrap.org

WEB: www.artfromscrap.org

Gene Pool- A Family Retrospective at AFS Gallery

SANTA BARBARA: Gene Pool an exhibition featuring the work of Alf Ramirez, Colleen Kelly, and Isabella Kelly-Ramirez opens at the AFS Gallery on Friday, January 13, from 5:00-7:00 pm.  A family exhibition; Ramirez and Kelly are married, Isabella Kelly-Ramirez is their daughter, Gene Pool promises to highlight the commonalities and differences of this artistic family.

Mary Price, curator of the exhibition says “I am delighted to present this group retrospective of a very talented and interesting artist family. Alf’s wonderful assemblages intrigue me because they are so meticulous and humor filled. Not many people are aware of his older work, because these secret marvels have been hidden away in specially-made crates in odd corners of the family home. Colleen is amazing and very prolific. I was motivated by the idea of placing many pieces of her assemblage work together in the gallery because, through them, you can feel her high energy and attention to detail. Izzy is becoming well-known in the Los Angeles art community, as well as in Santa Barbara. She’s a very charming and promising artist, and I’m delighted to have her drawings and collages alongside her parents’ assemblage work.”

Alf Ramirez has a Master of Fine Arts Degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara.   His work in Gene Pool consists of highly crafted, intricate mixed media assemblage.  Some of the pieces include carving and casting on a small scale.  Ramirez says, “Language can be a jumping-off point for some of my artwork, starting with the title. I aspire to poetry in that regard, however, the end result is often prose.  The work is basically an exploration of my personal history and exploration of life in the United Sates and in California in particular.”

Colleen Kelly is currently working in assemblage, printmaking and bronze-casting. Her art revolves around the themes of housing, architecture, social, political and environmental issues.

A well-known Santa Barbara assemblage artist herself, Kelly is excited about Gene Pool.  Kelly explains, “Over the years I’ve collaborated with and been influenced by my artist-husband Alfred Ramirez. It’s really gratifying to see him get his work out there.”

Isabella Kelly-Ramirez’s artwork is usually figure-based with surreal and expressionistic qualities combined. Inspired by her early involvement of theatre, parade, and masquerade, Kelly-Ramirez is interested in depicting characters by way of pattern, texture and cosmetic color palettes.

She elaborates, “I grew up with artists in a house that was and still is one big studio. My artistic style is a hybrid from both parents. The color, pattern and whimsy come from my mom. The gesture, line, and dark irony comes from my dad.”

Mark your calendars! Friday, January 13^th is opening night for Gene Pool; the show will hang through February 25^th, 2012^.  This event is free and open to the public.

About Art From Scrap: Art From Scrap is Santa Barbara’s Environmental Education and Art Center.  The AFS Gallery is located upstairs at Art From Scrap. Summer Gallery Hours: Tues. Wed. Fri. and Sat.-10-3, Thurs. 10-6.  Rotating shows hang throughout the year bringing together art lovers, collectors and local artists.

Artist’s Reception: Friday, January 13, 2012 from 5:00 to 7:00

AFS Gallery

302 East Cota St. Santa Barbara, CA J

Jill Cloutier:             (805) 884-0459       x13

EMAIL: afsadmin@artfromscrap.org

WEB: www.artfromscrap.org

Is it me, or is Dug Uyesaka trying to break the record for most exhibitions in a single year? The guy is everywhere, all the time. Which I don’t mind a bit, because I really like his work and you couldn’t meet a nicer person. Showing his work next to the mixed media/ceramic work of Joan Rosenberg-Dent is not something that I would have put together naturally. But a moments reflection makes this pairing seem like a perfect match. In both artists’ work there is a wonderful combination of elegance and energy, construction and chaos.  It will be really interesting to see how the work of each plays off the other’s.

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Dug Uyesaka's "Untitled, Drypoint, 11 x 19 inches

Minimal Manifestations: Joan Rosenberg-Dent and Dug Uyesaka

June 18th – July 16th, 2011

Artist’s Reception: Saturday, June 18th 2011, 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm

AFS Gallery

302 East Cota St. Santa Barbara, CA 93101

CONTACT: Melissa Brooks at AFS Gallery: (805) 884-0459 x18

EMAIL: devo@artfromscrap.org

WEB: www.artfromscrap.org

SANTA BARBARA: Noted Santa Barbara artists Dug Uyesaka and Joan Rosenberg Dent join forces for Minimal Manifestations, the new art exhibition that opens at the AFS Gallery on Saturday, June 18th, from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. Minimal Manifestations will feature the artists’ recent work, as well as work created especially for the show. Uyesaka will show prints, Rosenberg Dent; a series of assemblage sculptures.

Mary Price, curator of the exhibition, says, “Minimal Manifestations is a dialogue between Joan and Dug, who have long admired and enjoyed each other’s energy and work. Their respect for one another as artists guided the pieces that they created for the show.”

Although best known for his assemblage pieces, Dug Uyesaka’s prints will be in the spotlight in Minimal Manifestations. Dug explains, “The work in this show is a survey of some of my more monochromatic prints and drawings. All of the prints have a link to mark making; calligraphy, painting, drawing, all have a minimal aesthetic. A whisper can be as effective as a shout. I have been playing with the concept of “less is more… trying to pare down my expression to its essence.”

Joan Rosenberg-Dent's "Construction #7"

Joan Rosenberg Dent is a nationally acclaimed artist whose work is exhibited in several permanent museum collections including The Detroit Institute of Art, The Canton Art Institute, and The Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Institute, as well in many private collections. In Minimal Manifestations, Rosenberg Dent will be displaying a series of small assemblage sculptures constructed of ceramic, wire, and geometric shapes.

Mary Price envisions “a duet and/or a dialogue of sorts between Joan’s ceramic work and Dug’s 2D pieces. I look forward to seeing how they have responded to each other artistically through their work in Minimal Manifestations.”

Mark your calendars! Saturday, June 18th is opening night for Minimal Manifestations; the show will hang through July 16th. .This event is free and open to the public.

About Art From Scrap: Art From Scrap is Santa Barbara’s Environmental Education and Art Center. The AFS Gallery is located upstairs at Art From Scrap. Summer Gallery Hours: Tues. Wed. Fri. and Sat.-10-3, Thurs. 10-6. Rotating shows hang throughout the year bringing together art lovers, collectors and local artists.

CONTACT: Melissa Brooks

PHONE: (805) 884-0459 extension 17

EMAIL: devo@artfromscrap.org

Art From Scrap

302 East Cota Street

Santa Barbara, CA

93101

www.artfromscrap.org

Compensatory Objects- Assemblage Art By Mary Price

January 21- March 5, 2011

Artist’s Reception: Friday, January 21, 2011, 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm

AFS Gallery

302 East Cota St. Santa Barbara, CA 93101

CONTACT: Art From Scrap: (805) 884-0459 x13

EMAIL: afsadmin@artfromscrap.org

www.artfromscrap.org

SANTA BARBARA: Compensatory Objects, a new exhibition by assemblage artist Mary Price, opens at the AFS Gallery on Friday, January 21st with an Artist’s Reception. The show runs through March 5, and is the first exhibition of the year for the gallery.

Price says, “Compensatory Objects is an expression I came across in a book called Collections of Nothing by UCSB Professor William Davies King. By definition, compensatory objects are things that you are given or that you receive as an equivalent for services, debt, loss, injury, etc. For instance, people buy themselves presents to make themselves feel loved. So much stuff is produced, I think, to compensate people in our society for something they may be missing. What are these things worth, and what do they cost? These are the questions that I am trying to explore through my art in a limited and personal way. ”

Price continues, “Each thing has a story, sometimes a mystery. I treasure them and I resent them. They enrich me; they are my past, my history and background. But they also cost me: my time, my freedom, my complacency, my space.”

Price has been an artist her whole life and started exhibiting her work about six years ago. Price finds assemblage very rewarding. “It’s a non-verbal way to explore the meanings in material things. This visual story-telling can be direct and efficient, yet also obscure, like haiku.”

Price will be teaching an Art Workshop, “Flowers From Mars, and Other Alien Botany”, on Saturday, January 22, at 10:00 am in the AFS Art Center. The workshop gives the Santa Barbara community a chance to work directly with the artist.

About Art From Scrap: Art From Scrap is Santa Barbara’s Environmental Education and Art Center. The AFS Gallery is located upstairs at Art From Scrap. Rotating shows hang throughout the year bringing together art lovers, collectors and local artists.

Tonight there is a great holiday party at Art From Scrap. There will be all sorts of holiday activities to partake in, and it is also your last chance to see the Retro Muse exhibit at the AFS Gallery. There is also a toy drive, so bring any unwrapped toys you might have sitting around and give them a good home.  If you haven’t got plans for the evening, this is a great event for a great cause. Happy Holidays!

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October 22-December 11, 2010
RETRO MUSE
“Reception Friday October 22, 5-7pm”

Muse- noun: a source of inspiration; especially: a guiding genius. On Friday, October 22, from 5:00-7:00 pm, the new exhibition Retro Muse opens at the AFS Gallery. Retro Muse features the work of well known assemblage artists Susan Tibbles, Tony Askew, Dug Uyesaka, Ron Robertson, and Alver; all of whom have been selected as the “Assemblage Muse” at the Art From Scrap Annual Assemblage Art Show. We guarantee that these assemblage geniuses will a-muse, move, and inspire you.

Two red dots!

For anyone who has followed this blog over the past few weeks, I think I made it pretty clear that I was very excited about the show “Thrice” put on by Larry Mills, Tanner Goldbeck, and Joe Shea at the AFS Gallery.  And the show was no disappointment. What was slightly disappointing was the less than expected turn out for the show. I expected the place to be packed with these artists’ many friends and fans. And while there was a steady crowd there, it was not the standing room only event I had hoped it would be. I talked to Holly Mackay at Art From Scrap yesterday when I went back to the show for a second look, and she explained that Fiesta kept some people away but that many people showed up late so they kept the show going for an extra hour. Apparently I  left just before many arrived. And the people that came brought their check books since there are now quite a few red dots next to works that had sold.

Part of J Shea's "Silent Night"

The work in the show was of the high quality that is usual for each of  the artists, but there were also some nice surprises that re-emphasized the importance of seeing the work in person. For instance, I had previously seen many of Larry Mills’ photographs on his website. However, for the show these photos were mounted on wood panels and cleverly sanded around the edges, rounding the corners of the wood and wearing away the edges of the photos, giving the photos a worn and weathered look that echoes the themes of many of his photos.

There were also many great works there from J. Shea. His iconic wood box framed sculptures continue to surprise me with their wit and depth of character as in the wonderful “King of Kings” , but I was most surprised to find that my favorite of all of his pieces was a painting entitled “Silent Night”. The painting allowed Shea to present his characters in a specific setting, suggesting a plot, and giving an additional narrative complexity.

Another great example of the importance of seeing works in person came in the form of Tanner Goldbeck’s “Citizen No. One – Pale Rider”. This image was another that I was familiar with from the internet, but that representation does no justice to the actual work itself.  There is some kind of magic that comes with brush strokes and oil paints that digital creations cannot reproduce, and this painting is full of it.  The paint amplifies the frenetic action that is typical of Tanner’s work, imbuing it with all-important gravitas.

Tanner in front of "Citizen No. One". Photo by Larry Mills.

There is a lot to enjoy in this show. If you were one of the people who missed the opening, it will be up until September 12th so you have another month to catch it. Head over to Art From Scrap and check it  out for yourself, because you never know when you’ll see a show like this in town again.