The Dichotomy of Art at Joyce Gordon

What: The Dichotomy of Art

When: January 4 – January 27, 2013

Opening Reception: First Friday, January 4, 6-9pm

Artist Talk: First Friday, January 4^th 7-8pm

Where: Joyce Gordon Gallery

406 14^th St (12^th St. Bart Exit)

Oakland, Ca. 94612

Who: Lisa Alonzo, Jonathan Blair, James Gayles and Ruth Tabancay

For more information please contact:

Gallery Director: Eric Murphy - eric.aioakland@gmail.com
Gallery: 510.465.8928

Joyce Gordon Gallery presents “The Dichotomy of Art”, an attempt to examine the interdisciplinary practices among artists, not just of their interchangeable artistic media but also the cross sections of their careers.

In 1976, an art program at Columbia College of Chicago was created to examine and explore the interdisciplinary use of techniques from across the fine, performing and multimedia arts. This diverse media approach previously existed as pedagogies of multi-academia challenged each perpetual field of study, usually for the purpose of reaching a mutual task. This later became a method for art students to expand their use of diverse techniques that explore and push the boundaries for new future terrains of art. “The Dichotomy of Art” pushes these boundaries even further by examining the artwork of four predominantly Bay Area artists whose interdisciplinary practice involve tools commonly used by professionals in the white and blue-collar sector of society that consist of commercial graphics, culinary arts and microbiology.

Lisa Alonzo is a Northern California mix-media painter currently residing in Alameda, Ca. After two years of studying design at Cal State Long Beach, she received her BFA in Fine Art from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco in 2008.

 
Alonzo creates paintings from stock images found online. In creating the image, she mimics the pixels she sees from the image onscreen using a pastry tip normally used for decorating cakes. She makes a "fondant" base out of molding paste and as the "frosting" and apply thousands of very saturated dots or starbursts in a pointillistic manner. Her aim is to make the image look as delicious as possible and title the pieces as cakes to be ordered according.

Jonathan Blair was raised in Monterey and received a BFA in Painting from California College of the Arts.  After getting his degree, he relocated to Los Angeles and was employed by Disney Studios for a number of years.  He then became an artist for other major studios in Los Angeles and created numerous privately commissioned pieces as well.  After living in Los Angeles for over fifteen years, he happily returned to his hometown of Monterey, where he continues to concentrate on his art. 

Blair calls his latest work “iconographic paintings”.  Essentially, he takes familiar imagery and recreates it in a contemporary way.  Marilyn Monroe, Mount Everest, Mother Theresa, Clint Eastwood – all images we recognize, but Blair clearly relies heavily on his graphic arts background, creating paintings that are familiar and a little unsettling at the same time.  Blair says he hopes to “express a sociological message within the content and title of the paintings themselves.”

James Gayles is an International artist and art instructor residing in Oakland, Ca. Gayles attended Pratt Institute in New York, where he studied under renowned painters Jacob Lawrence and Audrey Flack.  He simultaneously pursued careers in both fine and commercial art. As a commercial artist he established himself in New York as a Graphic Designer and Illustrator, becoming Assistant Director of Graphics at NewsCenter 4, NBC-TV.  At NBC he won a television Emmy Award for design and illustration. 

In his recent “Elder” series, Gayles highlight the various aspects of our culture to bridge the gap between generations and to pay homage to the ancestors and elders of various tribes around the world.  This series shows the different and not so different aspects of our society. Adjacent to this series is a collection of his illustrated work that was created for the Bay Area News Group over recent years.

Berkeley artist, Ruth Tabancay works with a variety of fiber and textile media. With a life-long interest in biological sciences, she majored in Bacteriology at the University of California, Berkeley before continuing on to earn an MD degree at the University of California School of Medicine, San Francisco. She then worked in private practice Pediatrics for eleven years before deciding to leave her medical practice to study at the California College of the Arts. After several years of studio classes she was startled to realize that her work contained the formal elements that she had once studied under a microscope.

While her work continues to be largely influenced by microscopic imagery, she uses a range of techniques including computerized Jacquard weaving, felting, embroidery, and hand-stitched tea bags. She is currently a member of Mercury 20, a contemporary art gallery in Uptown Oakland. Her work is in the collection of the Oakland Museum of California.

Curator’s Statement – This autonomy of life expands the realm of our imagination but cannot be mistaken as a new frontier.  Art that is influenced by or involves one’s day-to-day practice has gripped the hands of many predecessors.  Let’s examine Italian born engineer, Ettore Buggati, influenced by a family of visual artists and considered himself an artist and constructor who designed one of the world’s fastest and most elegant racing cars, Buggati (now owned by Volkswagen).  The interdisciplinary advancement of his “art” is a nod to his alternate career as a manufacture of airplane parts used in Buggati’s design. 

For the artists in this exhibit, this Warhol like experience of commercial/working class meets fine art blurs the line between artistic expression and remuneration. In a gelastic expression, I imagine the day Clark Kent can come to work openly bearing the ‘S’ on his chest. However, if any part of this can be described as transmittal, I would have to agree with artist, writer and philosopher, William Morris in stating that beauty and care are inherent in everything that is done and that "art" in fact ceases to exist as a separate entity, and becomes an aspect of everything that we do.  – Eric Murphy

Joyce Gordon Gallery is a commercial fine art gallery located in the downtown district of Oakland California. It exhibits art that reflects the social and cultural diversity of the Bay Area and international artists. The aim of the gallery is to respect the creative pursuits of the individual and seeks to make such work accessible to a broad audience.

Joyce Gordon Gallery    

406 14th St, Oakland, CA 94612     

510-465-8928  

www.joycegordongallery.com

Line, Space and Abstract Expression

Line, Space and Abstract Expression
Curated by Eric Murphy and Joyce Gordon
May 4 – May 26, 2012
Opening Reception: First Friday, May 4th, 6-9pm

Artist Talk: Saturday, May 12th 1-3pm

Joyce Gordon Gallery
406 14th St
Oakland, Ca. 94612
http://joycegordongallery.com/

Participating Artists-
B. Aliza, Pauletta Chanco, Tracy Ricks, Emily Weil

For more information please contact:
Curator: Eric Murphy eric.aioakland@gmail.com 
Gallery: 510.465.8928

Joyce Gordon Gallery and A.I. Oakland presents “Line, Space and Abstract Expression”, an excursion of four abstract painters finding a similar path along the elements of line, texture and plane; becoming voyagers of an alternative abstract expression. These biomorphic paintings all share a common thread of curvilinear lines
and divided spaces or planes as Kandinsky may as well refer to them; however each artist finds their own technique to understand their path regarding the natural. No matter the journey, all four painters utilize the same expression of abstraction; a distillation process of reducing the physical world to its most basic, essential nature so that visceral communication is possible with the viewer.

                                       


Barbara Aliza - Utilizing a variety of natural and acrylic materials, her work explores the complexity of surface, the beauty of imperfection and, ultimately, survival. Aliza’s collection of paintings are inspired by nature’s ability to re-assert itself to survive – a metaphor for our own individual survival. In this exhibit her most recent series – Provenance--emphasizes the transitory and impermanent essence of nature. A point of origin, or provenance, can be seen as a transition from one state to another – again, an affirmation of our individual survival.

                                    
Pauletta Chanco – After an inspirational trip to Death Valley with her husband in January, she started a new body of work that conveys the unique palette of this desert and its raw, stunning beauty and quietude. Time spent roaming and looking at the interconnection of geological forces to create a visual feast of color, shape and form in one place, encourages deep sensations of human vulnerabilities and our overall insignificance in the grand scheme of our existence.  In her current body of work “Sojourn in the Desert” (both oil on linen and her encaustic series), remains the abstracted leaf forms making their reappearance from a previous body of work known as “Clearing the Path for Practice:” Here, indeed, as with previous paintings, the leaves symbolize the vulnerabilities and the cluttering of the mind that lead us astray and away from liberation. The veils and atmospheric realms over the picture plane represent our various mental states both wholesome and unwholesome.


Tracy Ricks - is a self-skilled artist who currently resides in Silicon Valley.  A native Arizonian, Tracy’s first creative endeavor was displayed at an early age.  She has received training in Manual Architectural Drafting and Interior Design. This training allowed her to tap into her God-given talents and create pieces to complement her décor schemes.  From mirrors to masks, her environment slowly began to reflect her passion, culture and ultimately her purpose. This is most evident in her recent series; “What God Sees” in which her framed acylic on mirror paintings create a distorted colorful Paisely path in a Charrette fashion. At one point, the viewer may feel lost in a paradoxical journey around a showroom with Trompe L'oeil objects (via the reflection) that culminates into a simple but yet complex being in which God sees.

Emily Weil – This watercolor and mix media painter enjoys inhabiting The Zone — that inner creative space that likes to express itself without thinking about it. Weil dove into the watercolor palette and then worked into painting with pastel, charcoal and sometimes with a graphite crayon (a big, stubby pencil you can work into with water). Occasionally she works in a few spoons of dirt — especially if it's French!  In Line, Space and Abstract Expression, Weil’s paintings form a liquid dreamscape of color and space and bold black strokes, reminiscent of Japanese Sousho calligraphy mixed with colorful clouds disoriented by the troposphere as gravity takes hold of the watercolor; causing both the trance like state of mind and reality to experience the same dream.

Joyce Gordon Gallery is a commercial fine art gallery located in the downtown district of Oakland California. It exhibits art that reflects the social and cultural diversity of the Bay Area and international artists. The aim of the gallery is to respect the creative pursuits of the individual and seeks to make such work accessible to a broad audience.

Joyce Gordon Gallery  
406 14th St,
Oakland, CA 94612    
510-465-8928

sheRose of our Time: Artist Talk and Honoree Awards

sheRose of our Time: Artist Talk and Honoree Awards
Curated by Eric Murphy 
April 5, 2012  5-8pm
Free 



Where: 
Joyce Gordon Gallery
406 14th St 
Oakland, Ca. 94612
Gallery: (510) 465-8928
http://www.joycegordongallery.com/



Who: Christine Balza, Ebony Iman Dallas, Elisheva, Shari Arai Deboer, Joan Finton, Penny Harncharnvej, Betty Nobue Kano, Deborah Lozier, L. Frank Manriquez, Kemba Shakur in partnership with installation artist and sculptor Karen Seneferu & the Oakland Museum of California, Judy Stone, Flo Oy Wong, Sandhya Sood w/ the Julia Morgan 2012 



It has become commonplace in the United States for the title of "First Lady" to be bestowed on women, as a term of endearment, who have proven themselves to be of exceptional talent, even if that talent is non-political. “sheRose of our Time” extends the timetable of International Women’s Month to highlight these women artists and participants, which include eight honorees as “First Lady” not only of exceptional talent but also to denote these women as pioneers who have and will inspire innovative thinkers of the next generation. 


This artist talk will catechize the inception of 14 women artists and their techniques in printmaking, painting, sculpture, photography, mix media installation and enameling processes. In keeping with the tradition of Michelle Obama as a presenter of artist awards, both partners of the Joyce Gordon Gallery, Joyce Gordon and Eric Murphy, will honor eight women pioneers as “First Lady” for making a difference in the arts through history, culture, craft, design, and urban development.  


These Honorees include:
Betty Nobue Kano, painter, curator, lecturer, and co-founder of the Asian American Women Artists Association (AAWAA), a nonprofit organization promoting the visibility of Asian American women artists and to serve as a vehicle for personal expression with a view of Asian American cultures and history from women’s perspective. We are honoring Betty Nobue Kano with a Joyce award as First Lady of Culture.


Flo Oy Wong, a Sunnyvale, California-based mixed media installation artist, is a visual storyteller and co-founder of the Northern California-based Asian American Women Artists Association, giving Asian American women artists access to major museums, galleries, collections and publications and furthers the goal of establishing the place of Asian American women in American art history. We are honoring Flo Oy Wong with a Joyce award as First Lady of Culture.


Christine Balza, a self taught artist, painter, sculpture finding her inspiration with the ancient Filipino script, Baybayin; a lost writing system from the indigenous people of the Philippines. Christine has taught Baybayin in workshops at Immaculate Conception, Sonoma and San Francisco State University and the Asian Art Museum. We are honoring Christine Balza with a Joyce award as first Lady of Culture.


L. Frank (nom d'arte of L. Frank Manriquez) is a Tongva- Acjachemen artist, writer, tribal scholar, cartoonist, and indigenous language activist who work is presented by BorderZone Arts in SF.  L. Frank serves on the board of The Cultural Conservancy and is a co-founder of Advocates for Indigenous California Language Survival, a non-profit entity founded in 1992 whose goal is to assist California Indian communities and individuals in keeping their language alive and provide development of new speakers. We are honoring L. Frank with a Joyce award as First Lady of Culture.


Ebony Iman Dallas is an artist, designer and co-founder of Afrikanation Artists Organization, a non-profit, non-governmental organization founded in Hargeysa, Somaliland/Somalia in March 2010. Currently an MFA Design candidate at California College of the Arts, her primary focus is on Interactive Design. Her thesis topic is about connecting artists of African descent internationally, in an effort to promote unity, understanding, collaboration and activism towards health, economic and socially related challenges among them. We are honoring Ebony Iman Dallas with a Joyce award as First Lady of International Culture


Kemba Shakur is the founder and director of Urban Releaf, a nonprofit responsible for the planting of an estimated 14,000 trees in low-income East Bay communities. The 2009 Alameda County Women’s Hall of fame Inductee is fondly referred to as the “tree lady” and by the Oakland Museum of California as a modern day John Muir. She founded the Urban Releaf in 1999, guiding it to success by abiding two key principles – creating a more beautiful community where residents take pride in where they live and offering opportunities for at-risk youth and unemployed adults to gain marketable skills. We are honoring Kemba Shakur with a Joyce award as First Lady of Urban Forestry and Environmental Development. 


Judy Stone is one of a small group of people worldwide who call themselves enamelists. Enameling, is a centuries-old process of fusing glass to metal with high heat and a complex medium that requires that the enamelist understand the intricate dance of metal, glass and heat and use of color used three-dimensionally. Stone is also co-founder of the Women’s Building Celebration of Craftswomen, which began in 1979, as a small crafts show featuring 22 craftswomen in SF and is now hosted annually at Fort Mason Center. The Craftswomen’s Fair has grown into one of San Francisco’s top holiday attractions, yet remained true to its grassroots mission: promoting hand-crafted art by women artists. We are honoring Judy Stone with a Joyce award as First Lady of Enamel, Craft and Design.


Julia Morgan (January 20, 1872 – February 2, 1957) was an architect, born in San Francisco and raised in Oakland, Ca. A graduate of Oakland High School in 1890, Julia was small in stature (barely 5ft tall), but she left large footprints on the field of architecture and also opened doors to opportunities for many women. Miss Morgan was a woman of many firsts: one of the first women to graduate with a degree in civil engineering from the University of California in Berkeley; the first woman to graduate with a degree in architecture from the famous Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris, and the first female licensed architect in the State of California. As an artist, Julia hand drafted many of her designs using pencil and pastels from her little color pastel box.  In a field dominated by men, Morgan succeeded in becoming the one of the most prolific architects in American history. 


Sandhya Sood is a licensed architect, exhibited artist, certified green building professional (CGBP) and founder and principal of Accent Architecture + Design, an architecture, design and urbanism practice. Sood is a member of the Landmarks California Committee, a collaboration working to raise awareness and appreciation for California’s cultural and historic resources, thereby helping to preserve California's rich landscape of natural, cultural and architectural treasures.  JM 2012, the first project of Landmarks California will celebrate the work and life of Julia Morgan.  In honor of Julia Morgan, we present Sandhya Sood with a Joyce award as first Lady of History, Design and Innovation for the Arts.


Joyce Gordon Gallery is a commercial fine art gallery located in the downtown district of Oakland California. It exhibits art that reflects the social and cultural diversity of the Bay Area and international artists. The aim of the gallery is to respect the creative pursuits of the individual and seeks to make such work accessible to a broad audience.