Paloma Montoya Top Pick of South Gate Inaugural Exhibition

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The City of South Gate has chosen Paloma Montoya’s “I’ve Lost my Head Before” as the work of an artist to highlight at the city’s new gallery and museum.  The  inaugural exhibit CUÍDATE / TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF, closes this Saturday, March 26th, after a two month run.  Themed around the idea of coping with life during the pandemic, the exhibition uniquely featured artists either local to South Gate itself or to Southeast Los Angeles.

The exhibition was juried by Color Compton founder Abigail-Lopez-Byrd, Chief Curator of the Museum of Latin American Art Gabriela Urtiaga, and artist Ozzie Juarez, founder of Tlaloc studios.

Montoya says her work here was inspired by her own struggle with depression, suicidal ideation, and management of mental health issues. The piece is a diptych. According to the artist,  “The first part symbolizes my long-term struggle with depression and how it progressed from childhood into adulthood. In some ways, I found healing through these dark moments whether through professional help or other means such as close family relationships and support,” she says. “In the first panel, depression is depicted by an anthropomorphic wolf which in itself is struggling to stay afloat. This figure goes through this cycle often, so while it appears as though it is decapitating itself, it continues to live, but like a chicken with its head cut off. In the second panel, a sense of relief is depicted. A sort of light at the end of the tunnel if you will. A vulnerable figure is depicted as a deer. The deer is in a state of peace and calm. I found myself in these moments after such dark places, and what helped me get to such a place was a deeper understanding of myself and a deep love for who I am.”

The piece is part of an ongoing cycle for Montoya. “The two-part work only focuses on the storm and the calm after it. It is more of a generalization of what my experience is as a whole dealing with major depressive disorder. Because it is a cycle for me, I feel that new works can be created stemming from what is depicted in this particular piece. I do have plans for new works that continue to discuss this aspect of my life.“

She describes her work over all as deeply personal. “It is really more of a journal into my life. I never considered myself great at words, so the best way for me to express myself is through images, images that I create. I attempt to be completely transparent and vulnerable in my work because I believe that is also what makes the artwork much more powerful. If the viewer can relate to it, then that’s great, but for me, it is mostly a cathartic experience.”

Montoya uses a rich and vivid palette. Working in gouache, she says “I enjoy the vividness of the colors and velvet-like texture that gouache creates. I typically tend to use brighter colors because it brings about a sense of lightness when my works can have a dark narrative. Brighter colors are also reminiscent of the natural world, which I draw my inspiration from. For the most part,  [I use]. very rich, brighter sort of palette, possibly colors leaning more toward the neon side sort of palette; but lately, I have had inspiration for works where colors could be depicted in the cooler/darker range.”

Montoya describes the work as significant in “showing transition.  Although this piece was done pre-pandemic, during the pandemic similar mental health issues rose…most of these issues were due to the pandemic itself. The pandemic was in many ways a transition for us… it ultimately leaves us with reflection, self-reflection and on the rest of the world, and how we can heal and heal one another through our own gifts.”

Viewers can see Montoya’s special gift at the South Gate museum and gallery this weekend, where along with a reception – and the last chance to view this beautifully curated exhibition, there will be an interactive installation and art activity, Weaving Hope, by Yeu Q Nguyen, from 1pm-4pm.

  • Genie Davis; photos provided

Light and Dark: Major Solo Shows at MOAH Cedar

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Now at MOAH Cedar,  stunning solo shows are filling the gallery spaces with color, light, and noir magic.

Gay Summer Rick’s evocative Southern California landscapes glow with sunset, sunlight, foggy mornings. A video presentation is a part of the exhibition, explaining in part her painstaking process, as well as the light spectrum that she creates. Her textured, luminous work speaks to sky and shadow, light and air. The viewer could almost float through these images and emerge again bathed in a prolific wash of color and glow. Follow the Sun is as meticulously created as Bonassi’s, but Rick’s work uses a careful application of oil by palette knife.

Her careful, poetic use of color gives us light along the sea and in the city, in mist or wildfire smoke, on a crystalline morning and in the stillness of dusk. Her paintings take us into a full spectrum of sunlight. The urban landscape of downtown Los Angeles provides the setting for a reverential sunrise gilding the summer streets of downtown in “City of Angels.” Heading west to the airport, “Into White” revels in a haunting wash of pale blue and white, as a plane lands in deep fog. The airport is again the setting for “Stand By,” as a rich pink sunset welcomes travelers to the LAX runways. While her work feels in so many ways influenced by and a love letter to Los Angeles light, Rick also depicts New York City in this exhibition. The twice-annual occurrence of “Phenomenon,” in which the sun sets precisely between iconic skyscrapers, takes on an almost supernaturally transportive loveliness in Rick’s skilled hands.

Positioned in the middle gallery space, Lynne McDaniel offers an equally evocative and stunning body of work. Unlike Rick McDaniel’s work glows without vibrant color – or perhaps just a dash of it. McDaniel’s May I Place You on a Brief Hold? flies into a chiaroscuro world, with bold dark and light contrasts creating rich dimension and light.

As she explores environmental issues and man’s fraught relationship with nature, her beautiful, shadowy landscapes haunt both with quiet beauty and the awareness that something just might be amiss. Like Rick, McDaniel also focuses primarily on the Los Angeles area, here depicting primarily the neighborhood sidewalks, streets, and trails around her home in the LA foothills near Pasadena. Elevating the ordinary elements of life to something extraordinary or worthy of deeper consideration, McDaniel gives us a brilliant orange and yellow tot’s pedal car, or a bright orange traffic cone positioned in the middle of a hauntingly curved dirt road lined with lush dark monochrome conifers. An intimate series of smaller, square works include a faint orange/gold shadow of light, as if appearing hazily from a sky grey with wildfire smoke; overhung with trees and shrubs, one bush takes on a reddish cast. As if emerging from a noir dream, the cityscapes McDaniel depicts are in palette, approach, and texture quite different indeed from Rick’s, but equally driven by the Los Angeles they love, and its light and shadow.

In contrast to these landscapes are McDaniel’s purely delightful images of her expressive black cat in “January/December 2020.” The feline’s gold eyes will rivet you, as does so much of McDaniel’s fine work. Look up above the doorway to be sure not to miss them.

Reviewed in another publication is the third, magnificent solo show now at Cedar, Jodi Bonassi’s gorgeous, color-jewel birds.

All three, Bonassi’s astounding winged creatures; Rick’s light-filled dazzling landscapes traversing the color spectrum of light; and McDaniel’s superb monochromatic and intimate depictions of our fragile neighborhoods and environment – these exhibitions are too fine to miss.

Visit MOAH Cedar through March 13.

MOAH Cedar is located at 44857 Cedar Ave. in Lancaster. The galleries are open Thursday-Sunday, 2 to 8 p.m.

  • Genie Davis; Photos: Genie Davis

The City of South Gate Offers Art to Help You Take Care of Yourself

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As part of its Cultural Arts Division, the City of South Gate has opened Cuídate / Take Care of Yourself, a juried group exhibition featuring more than 30 visual artists at the city’s newly revamped South Gate Museum and Gallery. The exhibition’s title and theme both reflect on life during the pandemic. Opened January 29th, the exhibition of over 30 artists was gathered through an open call for local artists and juried by Color Compton founder Abigail-Lopez-Byrd, Chief Curator of the Museum of Latin American Art Gabriela Urtiaga, and artist Ozzie Juarez, founder of Tlaloc studios. The show runs through March 26th, when a closing reception will be held.

Participating artists include:  Alba Castro, Albert Orozco, Amabelle Aguiluz, Andreina Giron, Angelica Viramontes, Billy Montenegro, Blanca Ibarra, Brenda Trujillo, Brenda Cibrian, Calixto Rodriguez (and students), Carlos Ayon, Catrina Esperanza, Celestina Rodriguez, Cindy “cindita” Macias, Daisy Velasco, Daniela Garcia, David Martinez, Edlin Lopez, Eleazar Martinez, Evelyn Menjivar, Ever Velasquez, Gloria “Glories” Martinez, Israel Lopez, Jacqueline Valenzuela, Joan “Zeta” Zamora, Jo Jimenez, Jynx Prado, Kiara Aileen Machado, Leo Alas & Genna Bloombecker, Leopoldo Peña, Martin Alexander Hernandez, Michael Gallegos, Michael The Khoi Tran, Miguel Rivera, Mike Alonso Alcala, Nicole Fournier, Paloma Montoya.

The evocative and varied work includes painting, sculpture, and mixed media. Some images are grounded in an evocative realism, others are abstract; one moving work recreates images often found in ofrendas honoring the departed.

According to acting cultural arts coordinator Jennifer Mejia, the exhibition’s inspiration and title came from a lighthearted aphorism for farewell. Reflecting the unique experiences of those living in Southeast Los Angeles (SELA) during
the Covid-19 pandemic, the exhibition’s focus is self-care. “We wanted to create a space where artists could share what self-care meant to them. As we began curating the exhibit, we realized that [the meaning of] self care has so many intersections. Three pillars we built upon included taking care of oneself, the community and the environment.” As the gallery’s first exhibition,  Mejia notes “We were intentional with curating an exhibit that uplifts our community by showcasing local artists and talent from South
East Los Angeles.”

Each image resonates with themes of self-care and awareness of the importance of health and personal responsibility. “Whether
that looks like celebrating a birthday, cooking with your loved ones, or moving your body, each artwork brings [the artist’s] unique take to the theme taking care of oneself,” Mejia says.

She passionately believes in the importance of creating spaces to “amplify the voices of our community through the arts, especially in regards to meaningful themes.” And one way to support that artistic initiative is to visit and empower the new South Gate Museum and Art Gallery. Once the city’s public library, the space became a museum in the late 1980s and has only recently been revamped for the community and art lovers everywhere to enjoy.

“The cultural arts staff envisions the space continuing to thrive and grow to benefit our art community and public in general. We hope to foster a safe space where people are welcomed to create, be inspired and build strong connections with each other. We also want to see our space engage the community by providing programming and events that create new and exciting experiences. It would mean a lot for us to see our museum and art gallery be the go-to space for others to enjoy on their down time, when they are looking to learn something new, or find opportunities and resources in the pursuit of an art pathway or career,” Mejia asserts. “Our community only gets stronger when it has spaces like ours to relish in and there is great joy in a community being empowered through the arts.”

The exhibition is available for viewing from 12 to 4 p.m. daily. A special closing celebration event will be held from 12-4 on the 26th of March. Festivities will include a sound bath facilitated by Rob Don Yoga; Weaving Hope, an interactive installation and art activity by Yeu Q Nguyen; free art workshops provided by the SELA Artists Guild, Color Compton, Carlos Gacharna, Latinas Art Foundation and Artspace HP; and local vendors and community resources. And of course, the chance to explore this beautifully curated exhibition.

South Gate Museum and Gallery is located at 8680 California Avenue, South Gate, CA 90280

  • Genie Davis; photos provided by the gallery and artists

LAAA – Powerful Environmentally Focused Solo Shows

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An environmental focus forms the theme of three of the four fine exhibitions currently on the Los Angeles Art Association’s Gallery 825.

Awash in the rich blue of the sea, Snezana Saraswati Petrovic’s impressive and immersive installation Collateral Damage Recall serves to compel viewers to act against our consumer madness – the use of plastic, plastic everywhere. The exhibition is thoroughly entertaining, even exuberant, as it brings viewers awareness toward climate change, and the terrible destruction mankind has wreaked upon ocean, coral reefs, and other water resources. The artist has created both a wondrous immersive world in her futuristic living room and bedroom, while also leading viewers to contemplate the ongoing nightmare of plastic. The installation is an outgrowth of a room-size exhibition held at MOAH Cedar four years ago.

Along with its immersive nature, the exhibition now features video and audio components and interactive capabilities for viewers. There are 3D printed corals, a waterbed for viewers to incline upon while experiencing underwater video images, a suspended blue marlin which emanates with sounds of the natural world from speakers contained within the great fish. Images of augmented reality, accessed through the ARTIVIVE app add an extra dimension to the exhibition.  A sculptural tour de force for Petrovic, the exhibition will haunt viewers with its beauty and challenge them to take action in the name of the Earth.

With her own images of nature, including strong visions of sea and sky, the large-scale painted images of Frederika Roeder in her exhibition, Scapes, are equally captivating. Roeder illuminates the walls with her glowing abstract landscapes describing  geography, place, new horizons, and the majesty of the natural world, through the lens of biological narrative.

Depicting both the Southern California environment to which Roeder is native, but also cooler images inspired by a recent residency in the Italian Alps, Roeder, like Petrovic, stresses the importance of protecting our fragile earth, specifically its coastal areas, and at the same time expresses the vibrant beauty of the sea. Her eight acrylic works shimmer with images of water and sun, wild waves and pristine clear bays. Her geometrically abstract use of vertical bands, bars, and narrow lines are hypnotizing, but it is her palette, shimmeringly poetic, that aches with the beauty of the natural world.

S.P. Harper’s Natural Force contains images of nature, both painted and sculptural, vibrant in color and precisely structures. Unlike Roeder and Petrovic, Harper focuses on land rather than sea, specifically the jeweled wonder of nature’s crystals. Employing found-art objects in her sculptural style and a sleek modernist approach to opaque oil paintings, Harper’s work offers its own jeweled dazzle. Her Gods of Fire series of small paintings represent birthstones of singular luster and depth; her use of geometric imaging includes reforming and upcycling of diverse discarded mediums from fabric to her use of an appropriately diamond-blade circular saw.

Gallery 825’s stellar ecologically-themed exhibitions includes the human species too, with an involving video installation from artist Janine Brown, reviewed elsewhere.

Gallery 825 is located at 825 N. La Cienega in West Hollywood. The exhibition closes IRL February 18th; view images online here.

  • Genie Davis – photos, Genie Davis