 Beneath
The Seams
New
works by Sarah Joncas
www.teapartylove.digitalinkz.com
| Opening Reception: |
Friday,
June 12th 7-11PM |
| On View: |
June 12th – July
3rd, 2009 |
(Los Angeles, CA) Thinkspace is proud to present, Beneath the Seams, the first solo exhibition at our gallery from Canadian artist Sarah Joncas. Her debut Los Angeles solo exhibition will feature 18 new works including oil on canvas and graphite on paper, as well as a very special installation in our front entry area, and marks her largest body of work to date both in size and scale.
Opening in conjunction with Joncas’ show is an exhibition from San Diego based artist Kelly Vivanco. This will be the artist’s first solo exhibition in Los Angeles and will be showcased in our project room. Alongside Vivanco’s work we will also feature new works from Vietnamese artist Tran Nguyen as part of our ‘Fresh Faces’ series.
Opening Friday, June 12th in our main gallery:
'Beneath The Seams' by Sarah Joncas
Artist Statement: While referencing cinema, particularly film noir, my paintings for this show have been an exploration of ambiguous narratives and the pregnant moment. Swarming feelings of anxiety and alienation became the atmospheric motivation as vignettes of the private and mundane developed into environments of the haunted and dramatic. The act of voyeurism is also considered as the female lead in majority of the works appears absorbed by her own interior space, uncertain whether she conscious of her attention, like an actress (exhibitionism), or simply oblivious (introversion).
Ultimately, I used this show as an opportunity to push my portraiture into a realm that involved more consideration of narrative. Though there are still some smaller portrait pieces included, I’ve used the larger works to develop these intentions.
Artist Bio:
Sarah Joncas was born in 1986 and grew up within both Hamilton and Niagara Falls, Ontario. Her interest in the visual arts developed at an early age, starting with the dedicated drawings of dinosaurs and lizards. Eventually the study and enjoyment of working from existing images stirred up the need in Sarah to create images of her own; ones that could reflect the world, yet also appease the personal feelings/ideas that she herself maintained. With this, her direction changed gradually from the world of animation, towards a path in fine art.
Sarah is currently working and finishing up her BFA at the Ontario College of Art and Design, in Toronto.
Website: http://www.teapartylove.digitalinkz.com/
Sneak Peek of ‘Beneath The Seams’:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thinkspace/sets/72157616356552417/
Also
opening on Friday, June 12th in our project room:
‘The Conservatory’ by Kelly Vivanco
Kelly Vivanco was born and raised in front of a sketchpad and a box of colors in Southern California. She later received her BFA with honors from LCAD in Laguna Beach. In 2004 Kelly became a Studio artist at Distinction in Escondido and currently maintains a working studio there. Her work has shown in numerous galleries and is held in collections across the U.S. and abroad.
Kelly enjoys setting whimsy to work in many mediums and pulls inspiration from the natural and imagined world, vintage photographs, children’s literature and the oddness of her dreams.
"Rather than try to make a statement with my art I paint scenes and characters that draw me in and resonate with something deeper inside. Most of my paintings are inspired from something intangible like the complex feelings knocking around inside of me; or simple like the pose of a child in a vintage photograph or the quizzical tilt of a bird’s head. I enjoy portraiture without parameters and a sliding scale of exaggerated features for the subjects of my paintings.
It is not an intention of mine to create a tableau of symbolism or encode some secret meaning in my paintings. They take shape spontaneously and develop organically. I like to paint and see where it goes. I often don’t have answers to questions posed by my finished works. People ask me what a painting is about, I just ask them what they think it’s about. Their answer is as valid as mine, in my opinion. To me, painting is like magic; it’s like in a child’s world where animals can talk and doorways have personality and anything can happen. Through painting I hope to engage the innate sense of wonder I believe is in everyone."
Artist Website: http://www.kellyvivanco.com
Sneak Peek at ‘The Conservatory’:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thinkspace/sets/72157616356581283/
PLUS on our 'Fresh Faces' wall this June:
‘Portraits Of The Unknown' from Tran Nguyen
Artist Statement:
My current body of work consists of traditionally executed illustrations based on surrealism. “Portraits of the Unknown” focuses on melancholy as an aesthetic emotion that evokes calmness, allowing one to reflect. I believe exposure to such imagery is a therapeutic vehicle for individuals in need of alleviation. It is my intent for the viewer to find a sense of self-connection with the image, in turn, foster recollection and well-being. To mirror the emotion’s complex traits, highly rendered figures are juxtaposed with graphic forms. As for media, I enjoy working with graphite, color pencils, and light washes of acrylics. This media is most crucial because of its subtleness and precision.
The overall mood I try to convey is one that best illustrates a dream. I find that there’s little pleasure in drawing within the limitations of reality. Illustrating dreams and the unknown is what stimulates the mind. Like Francis Bacon has stated, the “job of the artist is always to deepen the mystery.”
The intent of my work is to create a place that easily invites reflection, where the viewer can recollect their own memories relevant to the image. This uplifting yet somewhat solemn feeling makes, what I believe, melancholy most astonishing. This series of work has furthered my endeavors in creating imagery that can be used as a mean of psycho-therapeutic support. I see art is a powerful tool that motivates others to pursue their life endeavors. Thus, my primary focus as an artist is to illustrate visuals that will educate, encourage, and inspire others who have yet to find their own purpose.
Artist Bio:
Tran Nguyen is a Vietnamese illustrator and painter specializing in fantastical and surrealistic imageries. In her work, she frequently visits themes that evoke introspection, combining the world of illustration and art therapy. Tran is fascinated with creating imagery that can be used as a psycho-therapeutic support vehicle. Based in Savannah, Georgia, she enjoys the aesthetics of nature and the out-doors which is commonly incorporated into her work. She is currently enrolled at the Savannah College of Art and Design where she will graduate with a B.F.A in illustration.
Artist website: http://www.trannguyen.org
Sneak Peek at ‘Portraits of the Unknown’:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thinkspace/sets/72157616447366716/
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