I just discovered this notice in my inbox from this blog’s good friend, Joe Shea. If you have a few moments tonight make sure to stop by Paul Cumes Fine Art, one of Santa Barbara’s newest galleries, located just across from the sunken gardens on Anapamu St.

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greetings……..

thanks for listening……..

This just in from Joe Shea up in Portland. Thanks for sending this along, Joe.

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.

Late last week, whilst innocently exploring the interwebs I came upon a flier which instantly caused me to jump out of my seat and litter the air with profane words of excitement.

For those of you who have followed this blog, you may well remember my sporadic ranting lamentations about how so many of my favorite Santa Barbara artists are forced to emigrate to find enough people who will support their art. The reality is that the majority of the people who spend money on art in Santa Barbara have very traditional tastes, so to make a living many of our edgier, progressive, political and urban artists leave town for greener pastures elsewhere. That is, in part, what makes this upcoming show so special and exciting.

On August 8th at the AFS Gallery at 302 E. Cota Street in Santa Barbara, three of my favorite contemporary artist with Santa Barbara connections will be having a show in town for the first time since two of them left for the reasons mentioned above. J. Shea 9, Tanner Goldbeck (a.k.a Racecar 13), and Larry Mills are all accomplished, and talented artists with their own unique style.

When I saw the flier I immediately sent off an email to J. Shea (a good friend to this blog) to get details on the show’s development and the history these three have together. Throughout this week I’ll be posting his response as well as giving a brief profile of each artist and their work.

So stay tuned this week for further details.

First of all, let me take the time to say how much I love Art From Scrap. I can easily get lost in there for hours looking through all the quirky treasures that end up there. This month they are also hosting a great show by one of my personal favorite local artists Joe Shea (aka J Shea 9). This is J Shea’s first solo show in California, but he is a regular contributor to group shows in town (see below). The show contains over 30 pieces, much of which was inspired by a cross country road trip the artist took earlier in the year. Shea’s work could generally be described as mixed media figures and scenes that incorporate found and recycled objects with influences as diverse as folk and street art.

J Shea's THE CAPTAIN

The show is titled “Folk Art”, which is particularly highlighted in many of these works. Though there are the usual J Shea staples of wonderful robotic figures and floating heads, there is also much more Americana to be found here than in what I’ve seen before, lending a bit of narrative context which gives the work an additional depth.

One of the reasons I’ve always loved J Shea’s work is that it is incredibly fun to look at (a quality that is tragically under-appreciated in my opinion) . The detail that he puts into his figures can only truly be appreciated in person, when you really stick your nose right up in the box that frames most of his figures. The clever incorporation of found objects gives the scenes a feeling that is simultaneously post-apocalyptic and ethereal, mischievous and whimsical.

For this particular show, the theme of traveling brings a nice cohesion to the collection. The influences of the various regions of the country are apparent and add a welcome contrast between the individual pieces, while retaining the collective sense of movement and (mis)adventure.

J Shea's NORTHWEST

This show is up at the AFS Gallery, 302 E. Cota Street (the second floor of Art From Scrap), and will be up until October 25th. If you fancy getting a hold of one of these pieces you better get there quickly, at last count two-thirds of them were sold.

J Shea also has a small group of works up at the “Noche de los Muertos” show at Muddy Waters, 508 E Haley St. There will be an opening reception on October 18th at 6pm, featuring work by Jorge Rivas, Sheryl Schroeder, Traci “Spooky Lane” Rodriguez, Janel Holiday and more. DJ Magneto will be spinning.